A Pure Family
by hortensetheowl
Summary: Sequel to "A Story of Rage and Love". Having reunited with the Pure Ones after the disastrous capture of Ezylryb, Kludd wants nothing more than to start a family with Nyra-the love of his life. But destiny has a funny way of barging in just when you need a moment... Set during "The Siege", "The Shattering", and "The Burning"
1. Prologue

Prologue

Kludd arrived, at long last, at the fortress in Redwood, Tyto, that he called home. He had been flying for nearly a day in order to find this place after killing the Brown Fish Owl, and he did feel a teensy bit bad about doing it. The owl had only been trying to help, after all, but at the same time, if he had remained alive, then Kludd wouldn't be able to make his journey in secret. And if anyone knew Kludd had been alive, then they might have known _other_ Pure Ones were alive, and Kludd shuddered to think what would happen if anyone came to attack Nyra-his adjunct general, his second-in-command, and his mate.

Kludd felt his gizzard glow as he thought of Nyra, the most beautiful owl Kludd had ever met. She and Kludd had met while she and a group of other Pure Ones were on a recruiting mission, and she had been most influential in his decision to join. At the time Kludd had joined, Nyra had been the mate of the old High Tyto, a disgusting old owl named Agamemnon, but that hadn't stopped Kludd and Nyra from falling in love; Nyra had even developed a special class for Kludd just so that they could spend time together. Eventually, after Kludd became a Pure One, he had murdered Agamemnon in a fight that, in turn, cost Kludd half his face, thus earning him the name Metal Beak. After everything that had happened, Nyra was perhaps the most precious owl in the world to Kludd; life without her would be like life without wings: unthinkable.

He finally flew up to the chamber in the fortress which he and Nyra shared after they became mates. Around his nest, Kludd kept the battle claws Nyra had given him before he lost his face, as well as some precious mementos from their wingfast day and multiple little dates that Kludd arranged. He knew for a fact that Agamemnon ignored Nyra while they were mates, a fact which frinked Kludd off to no end, so he always tried to arrange special little gifts and treats for her whenever he could. For her hatchway, he had decorated the entire room with fire lilies, which he knew to be her favourite kind of flower, and had spent the entire evening hunting ground squirrels for a special hatchway feast. He still remembered her reaction; she had a smile on her white, moon-like face that made it seem as if it were glowing. He could see Nyra now, looking sadly at the nest he slept in, and just seeing her frown cracked his gizzard in half. At long last, he stepped in. "Nyra."

A startled Nyra looked up. "Kludd?" she whispered, her shocked expression turning into one of pure joy. "Oh, Kludd, my dearest Kludd!" She then bolted towards him, her face beaming with relief, and barrelled herself into his embrace. "I was so worried. When they told me what had happened, I… I thought you had died."

Kludd squeezed his eyes shut as Nyra said this. What had happened was that Kludd and the Pure Ones had captured the warrior Lyze of Kiel from the Northern Kingdoms, known here as Ezylryb, but it had gone wrong, _very _wrong. The worst part was that Kludd's younger brother Soren, whom Kludd once presumed to be dead, had been among the owls sent to rescue the Whiskered Screech. The even worse part was that it wouldn't have happened if St. Aggie's hadn't snatched thousands of Pure One recruits and then lost them after the Pure Ones fought to retrieve them. Among those lost had been Kludd's younger sister, Eglantine; Kludd hoped desperately that she was alright. Glaux knows Kludd and Soren haven't always been friendly with each other, but Eglantine was another story.

_Never mind that now. _Kludd thought to himself. _I have my mate to attend to._ "Worry no longer, my love." He replied, although he could barely speak, since the metal beak that had once been on his face had been melted away. "I am alive and well. And more importantly, I am home with you." The two owls then touched faces in a loving gesture, and Kludd swore to Glaux he had never been happier.

"So then I came at a Sooty at full force, with nothing but my bare talons…" Twilight was telling a group of owls in the search-and-rescue chaw about the daring rescue of Ezylryb, in which he had taken part, when Kira flew into the hollow where the chaw usually started their classes. "Why, hello, Kira." Twilight said, quickly taking note of her presence. "Come to hear the story?"

"I had actually come for class." Kira replied with a churr. "But seeing as Barran isn't here yet, why not?" She then settled herself in amongst the owls and rolled her head every so often as Twilight bragged about his part in the rescue. Twilight had been tapped for the chaw sometime before Kira had come to the great tree, and while he was rather boastful and a little too battle claw-happy, he was undoubtedly a dedicated student and a loyal owl. Plus, he did make classes quite lively, especially Ga'Hoology, which was boring as hagsmire.

"What's she doing here?" A disdainful hooting voice broke through. It was Starr, a Spotted Owl who had been tapped the same time as Kira. "She could go blabbing to her mother and then we could all be killed. How do you know those ideas of owl purity aren't a genetic mental disease?"

_Shut up, Starr. _Kira prayed silently, shutting her eyes and taking deep breaths as she always did when upset. _Oh, please shut up. I shall not resort to violence. I shall not prove his point._ Kira's mother, Cedar-or Blaze, as she was now called-was indeed a member of the group of owls known as the Pure Ones. However, while she was hot-tempered, sarcastic, and definitely a prickly sort, she was a far kinder owl than Purge, the Pure One who had force-mated Blaze and was subsequently Kira's father. Kira, however, shared none of her parent's personality types, although she had the same amber feathers as her mum.

"Starr! Shame on you!" Twilight hissed, his silvery feathers puffing in indignation. "Yea, Starr, you can't talk about Kira that way!" A thin, raspy voice squeaked. It was Nimbus, an owl rescued during the Great Downing. Kira had actually rescued him along with 28 other Tyto owlets and had tended to his wounds using little more than knowledge on medicinal herbs that she possessed; this was part of the reason that Kira had been invited to be a part of the search-and-rescue chaw. Without her, Nimbus might have died, either from his wounds or at the teeth of ground predators. And while due to this most owls of the tree welcomed Kira with open wings, there were those, Starr being among them, who never let her forget of her now hated origins.

"I am disappointed in you, Starr." It was Primrose who spoke now. Primrose was a little Pygmy Owl originally from Silverveil, where Kira had once considered settling and where her friends Val and Athena-as well as her mate, Leo-where hatched and raised. "All owls, regardless of their families or their background, have the potential for kindness and courage. Soren and Eglantine are brother and sister to Metal Beak, and they're nothing like their brother, are they?" Scores of owls nodded in agreement, and it was precisely at this moment that Barran flew in.

"Quite right, Primrose." Barran replied. "Now, Starr, no more unkind remarks towards Kira; it is very unbecoming of owls of the great tree to squabble with each other over petty differences. Alright, now Twilight, you will be flying with Grover, Roxanne, and Primrose; Starr, you shall be flying with Astrid, Nimbus, and Azurelle, and Kira, you shall be flying with Hazel, Soleil, and Picard. Any questions?" Kira breathed a sigh of relief. Hazel was Starr's sister, and she was a lot kinder. The others shook their heads. "Good." Barran replied. "Now follow me, everyone. And remember, keep your battle claws sheathed unless fighting is necessary." She then flew out of the hollow with the owls of her chaw-including Kira-behind her.

As Kira flew, her mind went back to the argument that had started in the hollow, and she thought about how astute it had been of Primrose to reference Soren and Eglantine to prove that one bad owl in a family didn't mean a whole brood. Soren had arrived at the great tree with Twilight and Digger, who was in the companion tracking chaw, as well as the little Elf Owl Gylfie, who was in the navigation chaw with Leo. Together, they were known as the Band, and it hadn't taken long for them to become infamous around the tree. Eglantine, on the other wing, had been one of the victims of the Great Downing and had been rescued and brought to the tree by Twilight and Digger. As of right now, Soren was in the colliering chaw with the Spotted Owl Otulissa, who, with her continually moving beak, had made the library a lot less peaceful for Kira, and Eglantine was being considered for search-and-rescue. Kira hoped that Eglantine was tapped for the chaw; it would be nice to have another Barn Owl in the group, and Kira would be more than happy to take her under her wing if she needed it.

_How odd and contradictory life is. _Kira thought to herself. _How odd everything is… including family._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On a late winter evening in the fortress of the Pure Ones, six owls-one Lesser Sooty, five Barn Owls-made their way towards adjunct general Nyra's chamber. One such Barn Owl had deep, chestnut back and wing feathers, another had back and wing feathers the colour of golden poppies and a scar near the top of her beak. Another Barn Owl had a scar on his port wing and had plumage that was a deep brownish red, and yet another had plumage of a fiery shade of amber. The Sooty, for his part, had a scar near the top of his head, while the other Barn Owl had, in addition to sandy brown plumage, a patch of mouse fur over an eye that went missing long ago and a scar that raked her breast. These owls-Lieutenant Wortmore, Major Jadalyn, Lieutenant Banshee, Lieutenant Blaze, Corporal Diamondclaw, and Lieutenant Morgana-were the closest owls to Nyra and the High Tyto Kludd, and they were flying to Nyra's chamber for one reason and one reason alone: to see if the rumours they heard were true.

The other day, after receiving her new batch of recruits, including an extremely intelligent Barn Owl named Ginger, Blaze had overheard a rumour that Kludd, who had been presumed to be dead in the battle with the seven Ga'Hoolian owls, was indeed alive and had returned to the fortress. Although Blaze was initially skeptical, Banshee had revealed that he had heard a similar rumour, and Blaze's skepticism turned to hope. Finally, she became restless and had convinced Banshee, her old instructor Jadalyn, or "Jade", Morgana, Diamondclaw, and Wortmore, who had been in battle alongside Kludd, to go to his and Nyra's chamber and see for themselves. Now they flew towards the chamber, feeling a mixture of hope, fear, and apprehension, to hopefully welcome back their High Tyto, Jade's old students, and Blaze, Banshee, and Diamondclaw's old friend.

At long last, they arrived at the entrance to Kludd and Nyra's chamber, which, at the moment, was closed by a curtain of rabbit skin Blaze had made and given Nyra for her hatchday. Being as quiet as possible, Blaze cocked her head and listened carefully for Kludd's voice.

"Listen, Nyra, you know that I love you with all of my gizzard." A voice murmured from behind the curtain, and Blaze's gizzard almost dropped out of her in relief. That was Kludd's voice, no doubt in her mind. A part of her just wanted to rush forward and embrace her dearest friend, but something in her gizzard told her to wait.

"I know." Nyra's voice replied. "I don't have any doubt in my mind. But can you at least explain to me why you don't want to have chicks?" Blaze's beak almost hit the floor. Nyra was considering starting a family with Kludd? Blaze inched a little bit closer.

"It's not that I never want to have chicks, my love." Kludd sighed, as if his gizzard now weighed a ton. "I'm just… nervous, I suppose. My own da had a tendency to play favourites, and as for raising a chick amongst the Pure Ones… That in itself comes with it's own challenges." Behind the curtain, Nyra's look of shock and bewilderment turned into one of sympathy. Garth, a friend of Kludd's from training, had been murdered by his father, Purge, because he had been in love with Diamondclaw, who was known as Dustin at the time, and Kira, Garth's half-sister created as a result of Purge's force-mating of Blaze, had been given up by Blaze out of the latter's fear of Kira's fate with the Union. No, raising a chick amongst the Pure Ones would not be easy, and her and Kludd knew it.

"I know, my darling, I know." Nyra murmured, extending a wing towards Kludd. "But I also know that you stood by your friends, even at the risk of death. I know that it was you who had avenged both Garth and Blaze through your killing of Purge. I know that it was you who had fought Agamemnon for both their honours and mine, risking your life to do so. And I know that you would do such a thing for our chicks as well." Upon hearing Nyra's words, an image that had once popped up in Kludd's mind before the battle appeared again: him and Nyra, in a cozy hollow, playing with their chicks. One would be a boy, with the same beautiful moon-white face as Nyra and, when he was older, the same deep tawny feathers as Kludd; the other, a girl with the same tilt to her eyes as Kludd and, went fully fledged, the same light tan plumage as Nyra. The image brought warmth to Kludd's gizzard and brought a smile to his face, and he turned towards Nyra.

"Thank you, my love." Kludd replied, gently preening Nyra. "With you, I feel like I can do anything. I do want to start a family with you, Nyra; maybe not now, but soon, I promise." With that, Kludd and Nyra snuggled into each others embrace, interrupted by the opening of the rabbit skin curtain.

"Your Pureness." Jade, Morgana, and Wortmore said in greeting, dipping their head in obeisance. Blaze, Banshee, and Diamondclaw, being closer to Kludd, however, were a little less formal. "KLUDD!" They shreed in pure joy, racing towards him, wings outstretched, tackling him to the ground. Nyra nearly laughed out loud at the trio's eagerness; while Blaze and Banshee bickered like a pair of owlets, they were truly loyal to Kludd and Kludd to them.

"Blaze, Banshee, Diamondclaw!" Kludd shreed. "Jade! Morgana! Wortmore! Oh, it is so good to see you all again!"

"My fellow Pure Ones!" Kludd shreed from on top of his throne. Every member of the Union-even the recruits-were gathered in front of him, as the news that he was alive spread like wildfire. Ginger, in particular, was amazed that her instructor Blaze was friends with the High Tyto, and she had joined her fellow recruits Willow, Matsumoto, and Trinity for this special meeting of the Pure Ones. "I realize that many of you are now well aware of the failure to capture Ezylryb of the great tree. Nevertheless, I command you now to take heart, for we have many owls, and Adjunct General Nyra and I now have a new plan that will ensure our dominion over the Northern and Southern Kingdoms." A cheer went up from the crowd, and Kludd stepped back, allowing Nyra to speak.

"A few nights ago," she began, "I received word from our slipgizzles at St. Aggie's that 104 Barn Owl eggs have been secured as potential Pure One recruits. I have also received word from our slipgizzle Ghost on the Island of Hoole that the great tree is nearly defenceless at this time." There was a collective gasp from the entire group of Pure Ones; Ghost was an owl whom Kludd had once considered promoting to lieutenant, but whom had decided to be a slipgizzle instead. Not that anyone could object; whereas most Barn Owls had a white face and underbelly and a head and back ranging anywhere from amber to chestnut, every single one of Ghost's feathers was pure white, allowing him to blend in perfectly with the mists that hung over the Sea of Hoolemere. "Given this information," Nyra continued, "and what we already know about the powers of the flecks, the High Tyto and I have agreed: In a week's time, we shall fly to Cape Glaux and invade the great tree!"

At this, the sound of cheering reverberated throughout the fortress. Blaze, however, fought the urge to wilf. She had no reservations about attacking the Guardians; she hated the Guardians with every fibre of her being like any other Pure One. But there was an owl at the great tree that she wouldn't allow to come to harm, no matter what: her daughter, Kira. 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"The great Otulissa did WHAT!?" Kira shreed as Athena related to her the exploits of the night over breaklight. Rumour had it that Otulissa argued with Dewlap, the boring Ga'Hoology ryb, and even swore at her after Dewlap declared a book spronk. Kira was in quite the tizzy upon hearing this; she, for one, couldn't imagine Otulissa, of all owls, doing such a thing.

"It's true!" Athena replied. The tiny Northern Saw-Whet was in a real twitter now, eyes wide as she told the tale. "I was looking for the book _Medicinal Herbs of the Five Kingdoms & Their Uses _to read for healing, and I had just found that book when I heard Otulissa and Dewlap arguing. Apparently, Otulissa wanted the book _Fleckasia & Other Disorders of the Gizzard_, but Dewlap told her that the book was spronk, and then Otulissa replied, 'Well, SPRINK ON YOUR SPRONK!' And Dewlap fainted!"

"Well, I'm not surprised." A hooting voice replied, and Kira turned her head to find Hazel joining them at the nest-maid snake where they were dining. "To make something spronk just seems… un-Ga'Hoolian. This business about Dewlap seems very suspicious, and I don't like it. Not one bit." Kira couldn't help but marvel at Hazel, who had become a dear friend to her since she came to the tree. Hazel was every bit as intelligent as Otulissa and not nearly as prim; indeed, Hazel often joked that Otulissa sounded like she had a cold and flew like she had a stick up her tail. She was also incredibly pretty; she had deep brown eyes filled with warmth and her spots seemed to shimmer like stars on her feathers. It was a shame, Kira had thought to herself more than once, that she was related to an owl as snobby as Starr.

"Likewise." A more raspy voice-that of Kira's best friend, Valentina, or Val-agreed as the Masked Owl took her place beside Athena. "To be honest with you, I never really liked Dewlap in the first place, although who does, really. But nothing has _ever _been spronk at the great tree, and for good reason: we are owls of free thought. To declare something spronk is contrary to this notion and everything Ga'Hoole stands for, and I highly doubt the parliament truly agrees with what Dewlap is doing."

"To be honest, I don't even know what she was thinking." Hazel replied. "True, higher magnetics is a rather frightening subject after the whole Devil's Triangle debacle, not to implicate your mother, Kira," she went on tactfully, well aware that Kira's mother was a member of this unusual gang of Barn Owls, "not to mention one that is little understood. But considering the fact that it was a knowledge of Devil's Trianlges courtesy of Otulissa that helped the Chaw of Chaws rescue Ezylryb, I don't see how making the subject spronk is going to help. Truthfully, I think they should be teaching it in every class-especially metals!"

"Well, you and Bubo would have a lot in common on that subject." Val said, a note of humour in her voice. Bubo was both the tree's blacksmith and the ryb of the metals chaw, which Val was in. "You should have heard his rant on the whole thing at one point during metals; he was absolutely _fuming_!" Kira, on the other hand, was silent on the matter. Val was right, declaring anything spronk-or forbidden-was against everything Ga'Hoole stood for. So why was Dewlap trying to declare something spronk now? The more Kira thought about it, the more troubled her gizzard became, and she excused herself quickly from the dining hollow and flew off. She needed to talk to someone about her feelings ASAP, and she knew just the owl to talk to.

"So, what's on your mind?" Ebony asked Kira as she sat down, a cup of milkberry tea in her talons. Ebony was a black Barn Owl who had arrived at the tree a moon before Kira did, although with her orange face with it's dark brown mask, sand-coloured front with ash-grey speckles, and blackish-brown wings and back, she could've easily passed for a Grass Owl. Prior to her arrival, she had been the subject of horrible abuse from her Da, causing her to fly away from home the moment she learned to fly. Eventually, a search-and-rescue patrol from Ga'Hoole found her and brought her to the tree, where she was soon double-chased for healing and Ga'Hoology due to her skills with plants. Perhaps it was because Ebony was a quiet reflective owl who listened before she spoke, or perhaps it was because, in a sense, her and Kira were both outcasts, even though they were held in high esteem by many of their peers. Nevertheless, the two owls developed a strong bond, and Kira often found herself coming to Ebony for advice on many things.

Kira sighed. "It's about Dewlap." she said rather tentatively. "Something about the whole 'spronk' ordeal unsettles me; it seems strange that a ryb would do something so… contrary to Ga'Hoole. Have you noticed her acting… strangely, at all in Ga'Hoology?"

"Strangely?" Ebony replied, putting her nut cup down. "Not really, not in the explicit sense. But I did notice the other day that her eyes had this sort of greenish gleam to them, and it wasn't anything like the green eyes the wolves of the Beyond are described to have had. It was more of a bile green, if anything, and it seemed more like the light of envy than the light of wisdom. Made me want to yarp a pellet just looking."

Kira thought for a moment, troubled by what she had heard. Her mother had once told her that such a gleam in an owl's eye's masked a stingy gizzard, and while she didn't doubt that Ebony was telling the truth, she had a feeling that actions such as Dewlap's weren't the result of a stingy gizzard, but perhaps something far more unsettling. Whatever it was, Kira realized, had the potential to put the whole tree in jeopardy if someone didn't intervene. "I see." Kira replied thoughtfully. "Has she mentioned anything about higher magnetics in Ga'Hoology at all?"

At this, Ebony shook her head. "No, she hasn't really mentioned the subject at all." she replied. "Perhaps she just doesn't know any more about it than we do."

Ebony had been trying to console Kira; however, this did nothing of the sort. Kira recalled Gylfie telling her one evening about St. Aggie's after she found the little Elf Owl in the library. It was the exact opposite of Ga'Hoole in every way imaginable; questions were forbidden there and owls were moon blinked to prevent free thought. The owls ruling St. Aggie's, however, were remarkably stupid in comparison to the owls of Ga'Hoole, and Gylfie suspected that they were afraid of anyone being smarter than them. Was that what Dewlap was thinking when she made books on higher magnetics spronk? Was she afraid that some owl in the tree would be smarter than her? Kira shuddered. _Perish the thought! _

With that, Kira made her way towards the entrance of Ebony's hollow. "Well, thank you anyways, Ebony." she replied. "I'll have to think about what you've said."

"Pleased to be of help." Ebony replied with a shrug, and Kira flew out of Ebony's hollow towards her own. Something awfully-dare she say it-_sprinky _was going on, with Dewlap at the centre of the whole thing. And Kira was determined to get to the bottom of it.

**A/N: Oooooohhhhh, Kira is back, b****es! So what do you guys think? I, for one, didn't like Dewlap at all during "The Siege", and I can't say I blame Kira for being suspicious. I've also really liked the idea of calling a Spotted Owl 'Hazel' for a long time, and so I was really happy about writing that character. Also, idk why, this is probably just me, but I picture Ebony as having a French accent. Any thoughts? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Blaze paced back and forth in the chamber which she shared with her recruits, her mind reeling and her gizzard in a flurry. The High Tyto's announcement of his plan to lay siege to Ga'Hoole had filled her gizzard with worry-for Kira, for Kira's mate, Leo, and even for Kludd. Kludd had no knowledge of Kira's residence at the great tree, and Kira had no awareness of Kludd's plan. Add that both were fierce and bold fighters, and Blaze knew that this could spell disaster for both parties.

She suddenly became aware of a presence behind her. "You should be sleeping, Ginger." She said curtly to the young Barn Owl behind her.

Ginger, for her part, seemed completely unmoved by her instructor's tone. "I could say the same of you, Instructor Blaze." she replied. "What's the matter all of a sudden? Ever since the High Tyto's announcement, you've been acting like a vole got caught in your throat."

Blaze simply sighed; Ginger could _not _know about Kira under any circumstances. Ginger reminded Blaze of herself when she was a young recruit of the Pure Ones: feisty, cunning, and sharp. And yet… there was something in Ginger's eyes that made Blaze feel a tad uneasy, something that Blaze didn't trust. "It's complicated." Blaze simply replied. "I don't think you would truly understand it."

Ginger seemed to shrug off Blaze's reply. "I hope the High Tyto lets me be in the battle! It would be an absolute honour, and I would be fierce; I'd kill every Guardian within ten pytes of…"

It was a rather disturbed Blaze that cut Ginger off at this point. "No!" she shreed, then quickly backtracked. "I mean, there is a lot more to the Pure Ones than fighting, you know."

"Really?" Ginger asked, almost incredulous.

"Really." Blaze replied with a nod. "Take it from someone who has been with the Pure Ones a long time; there is so much more to it than fighting. Ghost doesn't regularly fight, yet we consider him a Pure One, do we not?" Ginger nodded again, still confused. "What I'm trying to say," Blaze continued, "is that it's more effective to take the enemy apart from the inside than to fight from the outside."

Ginger's eyes widened. "You mean I can be a slipgizzle?" Blaze nodded and began describing to Ginger the joys of an inside job, all the while wondering whether she had done the right thing.

On the far side of the Island of Hoole, a pure white Barn Owl waited patiently on the limb of a nearby birch tree for what felt like moons. Tonight was a bitter cold one, and snow would be falling soon, he knew it. He should be in his hollow of one right now, staying warm and cozy, not outside. But the cold, the isolation, the threat of his feathers freezing-it would be worth it. It always was.

Ghost had first spotted the Burrowing Owl near the base of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree as she was burying something into the ground with her talons. While he had been taught through his training that anything less than a _Tyto alba _was less than pure, he had become quite captivated by the Burrowing Owl, and she, in turn, had noticed him and visited him regularly. It was perfect timing, too, that they had met when they did; by that point, Ghost was all but ready to break into the tree to find information. At long last, the owl had arrived, with his favourite, a nootie cake, in her talons. A warm smile crept up onto his face.

"Dewlap." Ghost almost breathed the name out loud in his rapture. She was as beautiful to him now as she was when they first met, and Ghost had felt immediately at home every time she visited him.

"Merlyn!" Dewlap sighed, using a fake name Ghost had given her, and eased herself into his embrace. True, she was older, but what did it matter? He was a mature owl, not to mention kind, smart, and sympathetic, unlike many at the great tree. She had always felt as though she could say anything to him, and he would listen without judgement. And so they carried on with their affair, although Dewlap took great pains to keep it a secret.

"How are things at the tree?" Ghost asked as soon as him and Dewlap separated. "Is everything well with your students? Ga'Hoology classes running smoothly?"

"Yes, yes." Dewlap replied, uncertain. "But I removed the books on higher magnetics-just for the time being, mind you-and that owl Otulissa _freaked out." _She then looked into Ghost's eyes and added, "She even said the _s-p-r_ word."

Ghost, for his part, was shocked. "You mean…" He asked, tentatively.

Dewlap nodded. "I just feel like no one understands me, Mervyn. I try to do my job right, but everyone, even my students, think that I'm… boring." At this, a small tear rolled down Dewlap's cheek, and Ghost lifted a white wing to wipe it away.

"Now now, Dewlap." Ghost replied. "You're one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and interesting owls I know, not to mention as loyal to the tree as can possibly be. Your students will be glad later on that they had you, trust me. As for Otulissa, I'm sure she was just upset; she'll come around, I know it. In the meantime, keep your head up and remember I'm always right here."

Dewlap smiled, her eyes gleaming. "Thank you, Merlyn." she replied. "I wish you could come to the tree, but I know you wish to stay outside. Nevertheless, I think about you every second of every day."

"Likewise, Dewlap." Ghost replied. "Likewise." They then embraced once again, Ghost's immense white wings wrapped around Dewlap's brown and white body and his black eyes looking into her yellow ones, both pairs sparkling with love.

Unbeknownst to them, Kira watched from a nearby fir, quivering with fear. Something in her gizzard told her this could mean bad things for Ga'Hoole.

**A/N: Uh-oh, Kira smells trouble… So, what did you guys think? As you can see, I've set major plot points of "The Siege" and "The Shattering" in motion… and disaster shall ensue! As for Ghost's thing w/ Dewlap (on which I have to say, _ew_), Ghost definitely is trying to get information out of her and put a divide between her and the tree, but I do believe he really cares for her and wants her to be happy. If this chapter is crap, I apologize; it was _really _late when I wrote this. As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In the great tree, in a small corner of the library, a Spotted Owl scribbled notes onto a sheet of parchment while her beak was all but buried in a book. Ever since the Great Downing, Hazel had been immersed in a study of disorders of the mind and gizzard. Of course, by this point, most of the owls rescued were beginning to talk and act like normal owls and had stopped babbling about Tyto purity. Nevertheless, Hazel had been quite disturbed by the whole affair and had decided do a study of mental disorders affecting not only owls, but the Others as well. What she had discovered was a whole host of problems that went beyond gray scale and summer flux; indeed, Hazel soon became a resident expert on disorders known as autism and bipolar-disorders once unfamiliar to her. She had been reading and taking notes on a disorder the Others called schizophrenia when she felt a presence behind her, and turned around to find Kira, her eyes wild and her breathing rapid. "Kira, what…?"

"Hazel, I need to talk to you." Kira breathed out. "I just discovered something."

"Me too." Hazel began. "Kira, I think that many of the owlets in the Great Downing experienced a combination of PTSD and amnesia, which means either they lost any memory of their previous family or that whatever happened to their families was so bad, that they purposely blocked it out of their brains. I've been doing a little study of mental disorders of both owls and Others, and I've discovered…"

"Then perhaps you can help me figure out whether Dewlap is a turnfeather or delusional." Kira shreed, clearly very nervous. Hazel blinked in great shock. Sure, Dewlap was a boring ryb, but why did she make Kira so nervous all of a sudden?

"If it's as bad as you seem to think it is," Hazel whispered, "then perhaps you should come to my hollow to talk about this, where not many can hear us." At this, Kira nodded quickly and followed Hazel out of the library. She was right, the library was _no _place to discuss this.

When they reached Hazel's hollow at last, Hazel poured Kira a cup of honey mead and let her settle in before asking, "Now, why do you seem to think Dewlap is a turnfeather?" Within moments of hearing the question, Kira told Hazel about seeing Dewlap with the white Barn Owl and how he seemed to be extracting information from her. As she listened, Hazel's eye's grew wide, and her expression became grim. At last, she shook her head. "This does not sound good, Kira; not at all. If Dewlap's been seeing someone, why would she keep him a secret from the tree? Makes me think that this Mervyn character is up to no good. But we shouldn't tell anyone this yet, not until we fully understand what's going on."

Kira nodded before another question popped into her mind. "Do you think it has to do with my mother? Or… my father?" At this, both Hazel and Kira wilfed; while Kira's mother Blaze was without a doubt a Pure One, she had loved Kira unconditionally to the point where she had abandoned her usual duties to find Kira upon hearing she went missing. Kira's father Purge, on the other hand, was a brutal sadistic owl who had murdered Kira's half-brother and created Kira through force-mating Blaze, and his legacy had haunted Kira for a good portion of her life. Neither Kira nor Hazel wanted to think about whether Mervyn had supported-or was even the slightest bit associated with-Purge.

"I'm not sure whether he knows your mother," Hazel began tentatively, "and Glaux forbid that he had known or supported your father, but I do know that this affair Dewlap has will not end well-for herself and possibly for the tree. As my mother once told me, 'Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead'." Hazel then put down her mead and stared at Kira, her brown eyes burrowing into Kira's black ones. "With that having been said, I still believe that we need more information. Tell Ebony and Lotus to keep a close eye on Dewlap for a little while; if she even so much as flies a pyte towards that birch, we need to know about it." Lotus was an Oriental Scops Owl in Ga'Hoology whose acquaintance Hazel made shortly after arriving. She spoke with a unique accent that sometimes made it hard for her classmates-and Hazel-to understand, but she and Ebony were both extremely intelligent and incredibly discreet; they would be perfect for Operation Dewlap, as she began to think of it.

"Of course, Hazel." Kira replied. "Right away." And with that, she flew towards the hollows of both Ebony and Lotus in order to explain the situation. _Okay, here's what I'm going to say_. Kira thought to herself as she flew. _Listen, guys, Hazel and I have noticed something odd going on with Dewlap, and we would appreciate it if you guys could keep an eye on her…_ She must have been flying faster than she thought, for she soon found herself beside Ebony. "Ebony," she began, "I need to talk to you and Lotus…"

"Shh." Ebony interrupted, gesturing with her starboard wing to a nearby branch. "You won't believe what I'm seeing." Kira followed Ebony's wing to find Starr flying with Adalia, a young Buff-Fronted Owl who had only recently arrived at the tree. He appeared to be whispering something to her.

"Odd." Kira replied. "Starr's never really taken an interest in any of the younger owls." As Kira watched, Starr held something bright red out in his talons and motioned for Adalia to take it. Upon closer examination, Kira realized with horror that Starr was holding yew, or hag's berries, one of the most poisonous berries known to owl kind. Athena must have noticed too, for within moments, she barrelled herself towards Starr, screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The little Saw-Whet had successfully knocked Starr away from Adalia, while Kira flew as fast as she could towards Adalia and plucked the hag's berries out of her talons, chucking them into the water below. "What in Glaux's name…" Adalia murmured surprise. Kira quickly turned towards Adalia. "Go back to your hollow, Adalia, I'll talk to you later." Kira said, her voice carrying not a threat, but rather worry. Adalia, sensing this was not the time to push, obeyed and started flying away, while Kira turned towards Starr, who was currently being restrained by Athena and Ebony. "Alright, Starr, explain yourself: Why would you try to poison a young owl?"

By this point, a whole throng of owls had gathered to see what was going on, including Hazel, whose eyes were swimming with hurt and confusion at her brother, Primrose, who looked absolutely shocked, and Val, whose black eyes were filled with venom. "I know nothing of what you are saying, hag's spawn!" Starr spat. "She obviously hadn't been listening when I told her not to eat them. Or are you just in a hurry to get me out of the tree?"

"You're one to talk, hag's spawn!" Athena retorted. "Athena, settle down." Kira ordered calmly. "I'm sure Adalia can tell us what happened when we talk to her." For a second, Kira couldn't help but notice a spark of fear flash in Starr's eyes, but his facial expression didn't change. "You do realize, Starr," Kira continued, "the serious implications you will face if our suspicions are confirmed."

Starr glared at Kira with a look of unrestrained hatred. "Go ahead, hag's spawn! It won't change anything!" With that, Athena and Ebony let go of his wings and Starr flew off, thousands of owls sending poisonous glares his way. As she watched Starr fly away, Kira heard Eglantine murmur, "If he really tried to do that to Adalia, I don't want to be in the same chaw as him." Primrose extended a comforting wing towards Eglantine. "If he really tried to do that to Adalia, he's not going to _be _in the same chaw as anyone." Kira, however, was quite troubled by what she had seen. Why would Starr try to poison Adalia? Was he trying to hide something, and if so, what?

**A/N: Welllllllll, that escalated! Okay, so clearly Starr has turned from a world-class jerk into something far more sinister and the tree is in some serious trouble. As if Kira doesn't have enough troubles on her mind! Oh, and the scene with the yew berries was inspired by a similar scene with Darkstripe and Sorrelkit in "Warriors: The Darkest Hour" by Erin Hunter (the only difference is, Darkstripe came closer to succeeding). What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or the Warriors series; full credit goes to their respective writers**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kludd watched anxiously over the horizon as the stars sparkled like mica in the sky. Earlier this evening. he had sent Banshee-with Stryker in tow-out to find Horus, a rogue smith who made his residence in Tyto and was one of the best in the Southern Kingdoms. It was Horus who claws Kludd had once admired on another owl one summer day when he was younger, and it was later Horus who had forged him his first metal mask and the battle claws he used to kill the old High Tyto. He had a fine craftsmanship to his work, and over the years, him and Kludd had developed a solid partnership that usually involved Horus fashioning a set of claws or a mask, and Kludd, in return, giving Horus killshares or hunting rights in certain territories. If Kludd wanted to succeed in his siege, he and the Pure Ones would need Horus' talents more than ever.

Early on, however, Kludd and Nyra had a discussion of a lighter nature: the matter of chicks. Kludd smiled to himself as he remembered the amount of time they had spent coming up with names for their little owlets, as they had earlier decided they wanted two-one boy and one girl. "For the boy," Nyra chirped, "Cobie Topaz." "And for a girl I'm sure will be as beautiful as her mother," Kludd cooed, earning a riffle from Nyra, "Bonnie Joy." Kludd's gizzard gave a little squeeze as he remembered the smile on Nyra's face when they were discussing their chicks, which they had decided to lay the eggs for in the great tree. She was the most precious thing Glaux had ever bestowed upon Kludd, and the idea of starting a family at the great tree seemed to sow seeds of hope within Kludd's gizzard. He was imagining teaching his owlets to read and giving Bonnie battle claw lessons when a shree let him know that Banshee had returned.

Regaining focus, Kludd turned around to find Banshee perched in front of him, head bowed in obeisance. "My lord," he began, "I bring you grave tidings." He then paused, unsure of what to say, before continuing. "Horus has flown away to glaumora, and me and Lieutenant Stryker have flown through Tyto, Kuneer, Ambala, The Beaks, The Barrens, and The Shadow Forest; not a single rogue smith in any of these kingdoms will forge a single thing for us." Kludd was both alarmed and saddened at this news; he had admired Horus' artistry ever since he had become acquainted with the smith, and he would miss it-and him-dearly. Kludd then went into deep thought before speaking again. "Are there any kingdoms you haven't looked?"

"Well, there's the canyonlands, Beyond the Beyond, and... Silverveil." Kludd could easily sense the reluctance in Banshee's voice, and Kludd understood it quite well. Silverveil had been the hatching kingdom of their dear friend Garth, and it had been where Kludd, Banshee, Blaze, Diamondclaw, and Nyra had held the Final ceremony for him shortly after he had been murdered by Purge-his own father. The very thought of it sent a mixture of both anger at Purge and sadness at the loss through Kludd's gizzard; Garth would've made a great Pure One, he just knew it.

"Your Pureness," Stryker cut in, "there's a rogue smith out in Silverveil who is particularly well-known. A female, granted, and not a Tyto, but they say she trained under Orf himself." Orf was perhaps one of the most well-known rogue smiths in the Northern Kingdoms, and he was said to be a master. "As much as I can't believe my own beak, I do believe she might be able to help us in our quest."

Kludd silently railed at the disparaging note in Stryker's voice. "Have you forgotten, Stryker," he replied, a note of menace in his voice, "that several of our best warriors are females, as is our second in command?" The statement was as true as any out of Kludd's beak; Morgana and Nyra, who were best friends during training, made for a formidable team in combat, and not only was Blaze's rage in battle unequaled, she had been trained to attack undetected in every environment imaginable. Despite the evidence, however, Stryker seemed to be under the belief that females were inferior-a belief that rankled Kludd to no end. Nevertheless, the prospect of meeting such a rogue smith intrigued and excited Kludd, and he soon sent for Uglamore, another lieutenant, who soon arrived.

"Arrange for a contingent to fly with me to Silverveil." Kludd ordered. "There is a rogue smith there that I wish to speak to." Uglamore quickly nodded and flew off, and Banshee crept tentatively towards Kludd. "Are you sure, "Your Pureness?" He asked, his voice quivering with grief.

Kludd then turned towards Banshee and reached a wing out towards him reassuringly. "I'm sure, old friend. I'm sure."

Kira looked around the parliament, eyes wide at the sheer amount of owls gathered. The news of what had happened had clearly spread quickly, and many owls were now whispering amongst themselves, while others simply looked towards the entrance, waiting. At long last, Starr flew through the entrance to the parliament hollow, and Kira felt her gizzard shake with anger. She could barely look at the owl.

Shortly after the incident, Kira had spoken to Adalia and asked what happened. It soon turned out to be more serious than Kira originally thought; Adalia told her that she had wanted to impress Sylvana, the tracking ryb, and secure a chance in the tracking chaw, so using Starr's feathers, she had tracked him all the way to a grove of birch trees on the far side of Hoole, where she noticed him talking to a white Barn Owl-the exact same Barn Owl Dewlap had been seen with earlier, Kira suspected. Upon seeing that, Adalia became quite frightened and flew off, but she was clearly louder than she thought, for soon Starr was behind her. Rather than get mad at her, Starr apparently praised her for being so clever and had supposedly given Adalia the berries as a special treat before Athena intercepted. "Those are hag's berries," Kira later told her, "and they are very poisonous. You must promise to never, ever, try and eat one again." "I promise." Adalia replied quietly. Kira had later relayed this to Barran, and now Starr would be tried for his crimes.

"Starr Chronos Elthin," Barran began, "Kira has now spoken to Adalia, and our suspicions have been confirmed: not only did you attempt to poison Adalia, but Adalia reports seeing you talking to a white Barn Owl-an owl whom Kira suspects to be an enemy of Ga'Hoole. What have you to say in your defense?"

For a moment, there was an eerie silence in the parliament hollow, and Kira couldn't help but notice that Dewlap had wilfed. Then, at last, Starr replied, in a voice as cold as iron, "I do not have to justify myself to the spawn of a Pure One!"

"That Pure One spawn," Ezylryb growled, "saved multiple lives and is now a respected member of the search-and-rescue chaw; that is exactly what Her Majesty is asking you to do." Kira then turned her head and blinked gratefully at the old Whiskered Screech; like Barran and the navigation ryb Strix Struma, Ezylryb had welcomed Kira with open wings.

Barran then flew down towards Starr, dipping her head until she was eye level with the Spotted Owl. "I am very disappointed in you, Starr." she sighed. "I had tapped you for the search-and-rescue chaw because I thought of you as a noble owl. Have you no loyalty to Ga'Hoole?"

Starr then looked her in the eyes, his filled with hatred. "I lost all my loyalty," he hissed, "when you welcomed that hag's spawn into the chaw!"

Suddenly Hazel, who had been in the parliament hollow during the trial, flew towards her brother, a look of pure rage in her eyes. "That hag's spawn," she shrieked hotly, "is more loyal and noble than you will ever be!" "Enough!" Barran hooted, dismissing Hazel with a wave of her wing before turning back to Starr. "In that case, you leave me no choice." Barran replied. "From this moment on, Starr, you have been exiled from the great tree, and no owl will be allowed to welcome you into their hollows. Go now."

With that, Starr made his way towards the entrance to the parliament hollow, but not before turning towards Kira and giving her a poisonous look. "You're lucky this time." He hissed. "Let's see what happens when you don't have Barran to protect you."

Kira, for her part, simply returned Starr's glare. "Anytime, Starr." she replied, her voice level, and watched as Starr flew out of the parliament-and away from the tree for good.

**A/N: Ooooohhhh, snap! So as you can see, Kludd has found out about the Rogue Smith of Silverveil and Starr has been banished from the tree. Needless to say, this is a bit of a shorter chapter than usual, I apologize; I am very worn out. Any thoughts? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The normally lush, green forest of Silverveil was under a thick blanket of snow as Kludd and his contingent-Wortmore, Jade, Uglamore, and two recently promoted lieutenants, a female named Sikita and a male named Hyde-flew over Silverveil. Under normal circumstances, he would have Blaze, Banshee, Nyra, Diamondclaw, and Morgana flying with him, but he had opted out of Nyra and Morgana flying with him on the account that he needed them to stay behind and run the Pure Ones while he was gone, and Blaze, Banshee, and Diamondclaw had opted out on account of Garth. "Well, that, and the bunch of recruits I am in charge with are a feisty bunch!" Blaze had told him. "I mean, great Tyto, Ginger and Trinity are always winging off, fighting owls they have _no _business taking on, and Willow has no sense of using her rage, which is essentially what Pure Ones are supposed to do." Of course, Uglamore had left Stryker out of this contingent, which was fortunate, because Kludd had no desire to be around Stryker at the moment. In any case, Uglamore had put together a fine group of soldiers, and Kludd wasn't about to complain.

At long last, they landed at the ruins of a castle situated at a convergence point for Silverveil, The Shadow Forest, and The Barrens, where the Rogue Smith of Silverveil, as she was called, supposedly made her forge. Sikita stepped forward. "Do you want me to fetch the smith, Your Pureness?" she asked. "I would be honoured to perform such a service."

Kludd nodded. While Sikita was a fierce fighter, he had learned, she had also mastered a skill even Kludd and Nyra had to work on: diplomacy. For this reason, Kludd had decided early on to make her the spokesowl of this contingent. "But be careful, lieutenant; rumour has it she's got a bit of a beak." Sikita nodded and flew into the castle until she flew so far Kludd could barely make out the sound of their words. But, being a Barn Owl, he could make them out nonetheless.

"You better have a frinkin' good reason for coming in here or I'll splat you!" A scathing voice scalded the night. Kludd almost expected Sikita to wilf, but from what he could hear, she stood her ground.

"Are you the Rogue Smith of Silverveil?" Sikita asked politely, with not a hint of anger in her voice.

"Some may call me that." The smith replied, her voice not so much irritated now as much as suspicious. "What business is it of yours?"

Kludd looked around and could easily tell that some of his contingent had wilfed; this smith was _not _what they had expected. "Be patient, everyone." Kludd said to the group. "I'm sure Sikita will have this worked out." Sure enough, Kludd could soon hear Sikita's voice.

"In that case, greetings." Sikita replied. "I am Lieutenant Sikita, and I come here with Lieutenant Hyde, Lieutenant Wortmore, Major Jadalyn, Lieutenant Uglamore, and our High Tyto Metal Beak to speak to you about a possible transaction." At this there was silence, which Kludd took as a sign that the rogue smith was willing to listen-and which Sikita took as a signal to go on. "As you may already know, our High Tyto lost both his mask and his metal beak in a vicious fight with the Ga'Hoolian owl Soren." Kludd silently railed at the mention of his brother's name, and Sikita went on. "Fortunately, His Pureness is alive and well, but he is in desperate need of a new mask and beak. In return for your assistance in forging these, we are willing to offer you an ample amount of prey-perhaps even hunting rights in Tyto."

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, at last, the rogue smith spoke up. "Absolutely frinkin' not! I refuse to work with your gang of bullies! Good night!" And with that, the rogue smith went back to her forge, while Sikita flew back towards Kludd, a crestfallen look on her face. "I tried, Your Pureness, but I had no luck."

"I should've known we would've had difficulty with her." Kludd replied before turning to Wortmore. "Wortmore, perhaps you can convince this smith? You've always been good in the art of persuasion." It was true; Wortmore may not have been as strong as Stryker or as fast as Uglamore, but he could talk like no owl's business, and he was always very good at getting what he wanted.

"Certainly, Your Pureness." Wortmore replied, flying into the castle. Jade then walked up towards Kludd, her black eyes sparkling with worry. "Your Pureness," she asked, "I really hope this works."

A small smile appeared on Kludd's face. Back when Kludd was simply a recruit for the Pure Ones, Jade had been his instructor and had taught him just about everything he knew. For this reason, Kludd always thought of her as more of a mother than his own mum had been. "I have every confidence in Wortmore, Major. He is both a seasoned soldier and a skilled persuader, and I'm sure-" A sudden banging interrupted Kludd's thoughts, and horror fuelled his flight as he realized what was happening. Wortmore wasn't persuading this smith-he was roughing her up!

Kludd suddenly swooped towards Wortmore, rage in his eyes. "That's enough, Lieutenant!" He replied, cuffing Wortmore over the head while Uglamore and Hyde separated the rogue smith and the lieutenant. Kludd then lighted down in front of the rogue smith, regret replacing rage. "Ma'am" he began, having nothing better to call her, "I am terribly sorry for Lieutenant Wortmore's behaviour; I had sent him to you to try to persuade you to reconsider, but I was hoping he'd do so by selling our advantages, not through threats. Whatever you may think of him, I sincerely hope that you may..."

"Don't." The rogue smith replied, weary from trying to defend herself. "I'll do it. What was your previous mask made from?"

"Mu metal." Kludd replied. "The highest quality." He then etched a design for the mask and beak into the ground below and looked up at the rogue smith. "Thank you." he said. "I promise, I will repay you twice what I was considering when you are finished." The rogue smith dismissed him, and Kludd turned towards Wortmore, his eyes full of scorn. "You mooncalf! What were you possibly thinking?"

Wortmore, for his part, looked absolutely stunned. "You said to persuade her." He replied.

"Yes, with words." Kludd growled in response. "Not by owl-handling her, you imbecile!" He then sighed and put his wing to his forehead. Everything was starting to go downhill, and the Pure Guard hadn't even reached Cape Glaux yet.

"Enter!" Nyra shreed as Blaze, Diamondclaw, a Greater Sooty named Sootbeak, a Grass Owl private named Eclipse, and a Maksed Owl colonel named Rouge stepped in with their respective classes. Blaze quivered with excitement as Ginger, Willow, Matsumoto, and Trinity stepped in front of her; they had completed each and every one of their ceremonies and were now about to receive their names. It had seemed merely a moon ago since she, Banshee, and Kludd had received their Pure One names. Oh, how far they had all come!

"It is time for you all to begin your proper training as full-fledged Pure Ones." Nyra began. "From now on, you will only be known by your Tytonic Union names and will forget any previous names you have ever had." Morgana gave a tiny nod, and Blaze noticed Diamondclaw swell up with pride. He had never been through this ceremony with the rest of them, Blaze knew, so for him, this ceremony had added significance.

One by one, Nyra flew towards them and gave them their Pure One names. Blaze remembered how she had told her class the news earlier and the excited looks her class had responded with. All save for Ginger. "But Instructor Blaze," she replied, "I rather like my name; I don't see why I need a new one." This had earned her a swat from Willow, but Blaze had decided to speak with Nyra about the matter, and fortunately, Nyra agreed to allow Ginger to keep her name. Of course, Blaze hadn't told Ginger that, and now Nyra had approached her group.

Nyra first approached Willow. "You will henceforth be known as Kestrel, for you are as fast as these birds and twice as powerful." Nyra told her. The newly-named Kestrel bowed her head, and Nyra then approached Trinity. "You," she went on, "will henceforth be known as Nightshade, for you are as beautiful and as deadly as this plant." Nightshade bowed her head, and Nyra then approached Matsumoto. "You," she told him, "will henceforth be known as Gyre, for you bear all the spirit and pluck of a recruit I once knew." She then added, in a low, mournful voice, "One who should have received his Pure One name alongside the High Tyto-and your instructor." Both Blaze and Diamondclaw knew she meant Garth and both felt a pang of sadness fill their gizzards, Diamondclaw in particular, as he and Garth had once been in love.

At long last, Nyra approached Ginger. "And as for you," she went on, "your instructor has told me that you have no desire to change your name." Ginger shook her head, and Blaze couldn't help but admire her pupil's courage. "Very well, then." Nyra replied. "From now on, Ginger, you will be known simply for your rage and loyalty, and the Union shall refer to you by your given name." Ginger began to bow her head in both obeisance and gratitude. "Thank you, Madame General. I shall not let you down."

As Blaze and her class-along with the other classes bearing named owls-left Nyra's chamber, a loud cheering went up from all the owls present. "Congratulations, all of you." Blaze said to her pupils. "I am very, very proud of you."

Ginger suddenly turned towards Blaze. "Instructor Blaze," she asked, "what did Her Pureness mean when she mentioned an owl who should have received his Pure One name with you?" "Yea," replied Nightshade inquisitively. "what was that about?"

Blaze sighed; no use keeping the truth from these owlets. "Alright, then." she replied. "I might as well tell you. Follow me and I'll explain everything as best as I can."

When they had flown to a place Blaze was sure was private, she began to tell the tale. "Alright, so you all know our High Tyto Metal Beak, right?"

"Of course!" Kestrel replied. "Instructor Eclipse was saying the other day that Metal Beak might become one of the best leaders in the history of the Pure Ones!" Hearing that an instructor like Eclipse thought so highly of Kludd sent warmth through Blaze's gizzard; it was a good sign if the lower owls of the Union were accepting of Kludd's leadership.

"Of course you are." Blaze replied. "Well, do any of you know Instructor Diamondclaw or Lieutenant Banshee?" All the owls present nodded. "Good. Well, a long time ago, long before some of you may have hatched, the High Tyto, Banshee, and I were being trained under Major Jadalyn. Back then, the High Tyto was simply called Kludd, Banshee's given name was Pigwidgeon, although he called himself Scourge, and I was known as Cedar. Diamondclaw, too, started training around the same time as us under a Lesser Sooty known as Dustclaw, and was known as Dustin, but more on him later. Anyways, there was another owl in mine and Kludd's class-a Barn Owl, mind you-and..." Here Blaze swallowed, trying desperately to fight back the tears that were beginning to form. "and his name was Garth."

At this, every owl became interested. "Really?" Gyre asked, and Blaze nodded. "Really. His father, Purge," Blaze went on, swallowing the bile that rose in her throat as soon as Purge's name came up, "was an esteemed commander within the Pure Ones, and Garth, well, Garth was the spitting image of his father in more ways then one; he looked exactly like his father, and he was as ferocious and cunning in a fight as Purge was. By the time his Nest Maid Ceremony was completed, everyone was certain he was set to follow in his father's footsteps."

"So what happened?" Nightshade asked. "Why isn't he a commander like his father?"

Blaze nearly choked at Nightshade's question. "That is a very good question, Nightshade." she replied, her voice growing quiet. "And the very good answer is that Garth is not a commander here because he is... dead."

"Dead!?" They all replied, shocked. "Yes, dead." Blaze replied. "See, Garth had one little problem: he was what the Others called gay, meaning that he liked owls of the same gender as him. Not only that, he was in love with Diamondclaw, who, as I mentioned earlier was called Dustin. Anyways, somehow, another recruit named Brutus found out and told Purge, who was given his name because his job was to 'purge' the Pure Ones of crippled owls or owls like Garth and Dustin."

"You mean Purge murdered his own son!?" Kestrel shrieked. "That's exactly what he did Kestrel." Blaze replied, half mournful, half disgusted. "He flew to the chamber we once had and he killed Garth in cold blood, which I later learned had been arranged by the High Tyto at the time. That same High Tyto later prevented Dustin's class from moving to the next level, but before Dustin left, Nyra was kind enough not only to allow us to mourn Garth, but to come with us for his Final ceremony. After Kludd killed the High Tyto and succeeded him, he brought Dustin back to the Pure Ones and changed his name to Diamondclaw."

For a moment, there was silence, and Gyre was soon the first to break it. "Instructor Blaze, where was your old chamber?" he asked, and Blaze got up and motioned for Gyre and the others to follow her. When they at last reached Blaze's old chamber, she lighted down on Jade's old perch and said, "This is the place", gesturing with her port wing to the spot where Garth had died. Ginger, Kestrel, and Nightshade simply stared with a mixture of awe and horror, but Gyre flew bravely up to the spot and lighted down. He then looked up at the sky as he spoke.

"From now on," Gyre began, "you will only be known by your Tytonic Union name and will forget any previous name you once had." Blaze looked at her former pupil, eyes shining with gratitude, as he said these words aloud. "You will henceforth be known as Martyr, for through your sacrifice, you have inspired others to fight for what they know to be right until their last dying breath." He then looked at Blaze, then back up at the sky, his eyes shining solemnly. "Now, Garth shall have a Pure One name." He said quietly.

Blaze shook with pure, absolute happiness, and she had to resist the urge to fly down to where Gyre stood and embrace him. This owl, her pupil, had performed a ceremony usually only done by the High Tyto or the Madame General, for an owl who had died long before he was even recruited. In her eyes, that was the most courageous thing she had seen any owl do in a long time. With that, she looked into Gyre's eyes, her own spilling with tears, and whispered, "Glaux bless you, Gyre. Glaux bless you."

**A/N: Awww, wasn't that so sweet of Gyre? Holy crap, I just realized how long this was. Okay, so I was not sure whether Kludd had really ordered Wortmore to rough up the Rogue Smith of Silverveil, but I imagine that Kludd probably didn't want it to come to that, so... yea. What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dewlap flew over towards the birch tree where the owl she knew as Mervyn kept his nest, silently praying to Glaux that he was alive. _I must find him!_ she silently cursed to herself. _I must warn him, or every Guardian in the tree will have his blood on their talons! No! Perish the thought!_ She must have been flying faster than she realized, for before long, she had arrived at the very birch in which her paramour made his nest.

Tentatively, she approached the owl's hollow. "Mervyn?" she whispered. "Mervyn?" No response. _That can't be good. _She thought to herself; Mervyn usually heard her. Had someowl gotten to him before she did? Slowly, so as not to disturb anything, Dewlap crept into Mervyn's hollow… and was shocked and horrified at what she saw.

To put it mildly, the hollow was a mess. Feathers and papers were on every inch of the hollow floor; it was almost as if a tornado had come into the hollow. A jar of dried milkberries-his favourite snack-was smashed, leaving the dried fruits scattered across the hollow. But perhaps what horrified Dewlap the most were the splatters of blood-most likely Mervyn's-dotting the walls, the floors, even his nest. Dewlap was about to fly back to the tree when she noticed a slip of parchment paper stuck to her foot. Thinking quickly, she cleared an assortment of scattered papers off of Mervyn's desk before peeling the parchment slip off her foot with her beak. She then placed the slip of parchment on the desk and read with absolute terror, her blood running cold.

_To whomever it may concern,_

_Our slipgizzles have reported seeing the Barn Owl and apparent Pure One slipgizzle Cliff Daryn Norwood, known by his Pure One name as "Ghost", associating regularly with an Impure owl, that is, an owl not belonging to the Tyto genus. Therefore, we have disposed of him in a manner befitting for all who turn feather to the name of the Pure Ones; however, I am grave to report that this is only the tip of the iceberg._

_Ever since the arrival of the new High Tyto Kludd, the Pure Ones have_ _since lost the meaning of the word 'pure'. Not only have they allowed this traitorous owl to have the role of a slipgizzle, but they have also allowed a homosexual Lesser Sooty to be given the ranking of corporal and have on multiple occasions dismissed a soldier after a female traps them with false accusations of force-mating and harassment. As close friends of the late Pure One commander Logan Drace Talonson, known by his Pure One name as "Purge", we know that our dear friend and commander would be disappointed at the direction the Pure Ones have taken. Sadly, however, Purge is dead, murdered by the traitorous, soft-bellied owl known as Kludd. Therefore, we have left what has become of the Pure Ones and have decided to revive them as Purge would have wanted them-and have set our minds upon killing the owls responsible for this decline, such as Ghost-our first target. The rest of our targets are as follows:_

_1. Corporal Dustin Thor Lovelace, aka "Diamondclaw"_

_2. Major Laguna Clarita Quinn, aka "Jadalyn"_

_3. Lieutenant Pigwidgeon Axel McGonagall, aka "Banshee"_

_4. Lieutenant Cedar Persephone Plicata, aka "Blaze"_

_5. Adjunct General Nyra Lutta Alba_

_6. High Tyto Kludd James Alba, aka "Metal Beak"_

_After these owls have been disposed of, we will finish Commander Purge's work and conquer the Northern and Southern Kingdoms as well as the great tree-and will slaughter all who stand in our way. You have been warned._

_Hunter Kieran Tenebris,_

_Head Purger of the Purgery_

Dewlap stood in the hollow with a mixture of shock and horror-shock that the owl she knew as Mervyn had lied to her about _so much_, and horror as she pictured not only his murder, but the slaughter of every single owl in this tree. _No, _she realized, _I can't let that happen._ With the note in her talons,she then flew back towards the tree-and towards the only owl who may be able to truly help her.

"Now, we mix the lavender with the poppy seeds like this." Kira said as she placed lavender flowers, then poppy seeds, into a small clay bowl, while Eglantine watched with eager fascination. Three nights after Starr had been banished from the tree, Barran had announced that Eglantine would be joining both the search-and-rescue and tracking chaws, and had even asked Kira to be her mentor. Kira accepted the role eagerly, and she spent much of her spare time teaching Eglantine everything she knew, while Eglantine proved herself eager to learn.

"Then, we crush them together and add a little-" Kira was interrupted by the sound of Burrowing Owl wings flapping madly towards her hollow, and Kira turned her head to see Dewlap standing at the entrance, panting. "Oh, hello Eglantine." Dewlap said breathily. "I didn't realize you were here."

"Just giving her a lesson in herbs." Kira said politely. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Kira was still a little wary as to why Dewlap kept her visits with the white Barn Owl a secret, but since Dewlap seemed to act like her usual self, Kira had brushed it off. Now, however, Dewlap seemed absolutely panicked.

"I actually do need to talk to you." Dewlap said to Kira. She then lowered her voice and whispered, "It's urgent."

No further explanation was needed. "Eglantine, why don't you go on a night flight with Primrose while I talk to Dewlap?" Kira suggested, and while Eglantine looked a little confused, she simply shrugged and did as she was told. Kira then lowered her voice. "Listen, before you begin, I know you've been seeing the white Barn Owl…"

"I figured you would." Dewlap replied. "From the moment I met you, I could tell that you would never let anything pass you. I came here for two reasons; one, to confirm your suspicions. Ghost, or as he said his name was, Mervyn, was a slipgizzle for the Pure Ones." At this, Kira's eyes widened in shock. That could _not _be good. "Dewlap, I'm sorry, but I have to tell Barran!" Kira shreed and was about to fly out of the hollow when Dewlap stopped her.

"Kira, please." Dewlap implored. "He was a kind owl, even for a Pure One, and I would rather not that he be pre-judged. Surely you, of all owls, can understand that?" At this, Kira folded her wings back by her sides. "Besides," Dewlap continued, seeing that she had Kira's attention, "there's more." Upon hearing this, Kira stood her ground and listened intently.

"The second reason I came here," Dewlap went on shakily, "is to tell you that Ghost was murdered. I went into his hollow and found blood, paper, and feathers everywhere-as well as this note." She then placed the note, which she had carried rather awkwardly in her port foot until now, on the floor for Kira to read. "Whoever murdered Ghost was part of a gang called The Purgery-named after your father, I believe. Now whether it was their leader, Hunter, or one of his cronies, I can't be certain, but one of their next targets is…" Here Dewlap paused, as if wondering whether or not to tell Kira this next part. "Your mother."

Kira's gizzard felt like it would fall out of her body. Her father was dead, killed long ago by Kludd as vengeance for the murder of her half-brother and the force-mating of her mother. However, ideas, she knew, could long outlive the owl who came up with them, even evil, ignoble ideas like those of Purge. And as long as there were owls alive who believed in Purge's ideas, no owl would be safe-not the Pure Ones, not the Guardians, not even the most innocent owlet. These owls _had _to be stopped-no matter what. Kira turned towards Dewlap, her eyes like chips of flint. "Do you have any idea where these owls are situated?" she asked, her voice as strong as iron.

"Not a clue, I swear to Glaux!" Dewlap hooted. "That's actually part of the reason why I came to you; you're part of the search-and-rescue chaw, so you might be able to find these owls." She then looked at Kira. "You could, couldn't you?"

Kira nodded. "But I'll need to find Leo, Val, Athena, and Hazel and talk to them about it first. And I'll no doubt need to explain to Barran and Eglantine." _Not to mention Ebony and Primrose and Strix Struma and Bubo and Matron. _She silently added as she gathered her things. She was suddenly interrupted by a fluttering of wings outside her hollow, and another Burrowing Owl appeared at the entrance, one closer to Kira's age.

"I want to join you too." The owl cooed. It was Celeste, one of the tracking chews most recent members, who had escaped St. Aggie's to be found by a Guardian patrol near Kuneer. Kira's eyes widened. "I know what you're gonna say, Kira." Celeste began. "I'm not coming to look for my parents. I know that they are dead and that they'd want nothing to do with this Purgery you speak of. My uncle was owl-napped by the Pure Ones long before I hatched. My grand mum and grand da later found him dead in Tyto, bearing all the claw marks of Purge." At the mention of the word "Purge", Celeste, rather than wilfed, puffed her feathers out in anger. "I would rather die than see any owl like Purge come to power."

"And if we don't stop these owls," Kira replied, "you probably will. Go back to your hollow, pack your botkin, and talk to Sylvana. I'll find everyone else." Celeste nodded and flew off while Kira packed the remainder of her supplies in her botkin. Ready at last, Kira flew out of her hollow to find her friends-and her ryb.

"Glauxspeed, Kira!" Dewlap whispered into the black. "Glauxspeed!"

**A/N: Aaaaannnnnddd Kira and friends are off on another heroic quest! Okay, so originally I had Blaze murder Ghost in order to keep Kira from harm, but after the previous chapters, I realize that wouldn't make sense, so I had this other group come in. What did you guys think? Do you want to see more of Kludd, or do you want to meet the Purgery first? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Blaze looked up at the fading night sky above her, her eyes focused on one star. It had been three nights since her pupils had finally graduated, and Blaze could not have been happier to be back in her pre-instruction chamber; seeing her old student nights chamber filled her with way too many memories. At least with the ceremony Gyre had given for Garth, Blaze had one more happy memory to add. The star she looked at now was the one she had decided early on was Garth-now Martyr. _Oh, Martyr, you would have made a fine instructor. _Blaze silently shreed. _Why did your Glaux-forsaken father take you from us so soon?_

A slight tapping sound interrupted her thoughts. "Blaze?" a familiar voice whispered tentatively. "May I come in?"

Blaze turned her head to find her old friend Banshee standing near the entrance. "Of course, Banshee." she replied softly. "You're always welcome to come in, you know that."

Banshee flew into the chamber and lighted down beside Blaze. He then tipped his head up towards the sky above. "I hear our dear friend can now rest in glaumora with a Pure One name."

"Yes." Blaze said almost breathlessly. "Gyre performed the ceremony in our old chamber a week ago. It was the best surprise an owl like me could be given."

A slight smile creased Banshee's face. "I thought there was a new lightness in your flight." He replied. He then looked at Blaze, excitement lighting his eyes. "I got my first batch of recruits today. I'm gonna be an instructor."

"You-what!?" Blaze sputtered, looking at Banshee. "Oh, Banshee, that's great! What are they like? How old are they? How many females are there? Are they-"

"Slow down, Blaze, slow down." Banshee churred. "They're all old enough to have left the nest by now, and there are 2 females and 2 males; the females are named Calypso and Mahalia, and the males are Spyro and Bishop." He then looked at Blaze meaningfully before adding, "Calypso reminds me a lot of you, you know."

Blaze looked down at the ground, embarrassment prickling her wings. "Is that so?" Blaze replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Banshee nodded. "I still remember what you and I were like when we first started training together." He continued. "I remember how ashamed I was of my real name, and how I always claimed my name was-"

"Scourge." Blaze and Banshee both finished, and Blaze replied, "Yeah, I remember that to. I remember how you and I used to bicker back and forth and how I always called you by your real name-"

"Pigwidgeon." Banshee replied. "I'm amazed myself that I can still remember it. It's been nearly a year since even you have called me that name. But I still remember yours: Cedar. I also remember how ridiculous you thought your name was, since you looked nothing like a cedar."

Blaze churred. "I have never thought very highly of my family's naming tradition." she replied. _And yet, I named my daughter after a constellation. _She thought to herself. _But then again, "Kira" is a _much _better name than "Cedar"._

"Even so," Banshee continued, "that was your name. And while I will deny it if anyone asks, I think it is a far more beautiful name than 'Blaze'." Blaze's gizzard gave a slight squeeze; what was Banshee saying? Banshee continued. "I said before that you broke everyone of my walls down, eventually quite easily. But what I didn't tell you-or Kludd-was each and every one of these walls was around my heart; I had built them up shortly after my parents died, because I feared that what I would love, I would lose. I never expected to have these walls broken down amongst the Pure Ones, of all things, but you broke them down, bit by bit, until I began to love again." Banshee paused, as if wondering whether to actually say it, then looked Blaze dead in the eye and said. "What I'm trying to say is, as unlikely as I once considered it, the owl that I love, more than the Pure Ones, more than life itself… is you, Blaze."

Blaze began to shake with complete and utter emotion. "Pigwidgeon," she said shakily. "You do realize I am no good at saying my emotions, don't you?" Banshee looked crestfallen until Blaze went on, "So I think it would be better for me to _show _you how I feel." With that, she moved swiftly towards Banshee and wrapped a wing around him as the two owls locked beaks, sinking into the warmth of each other's embraces.

"Hail! High Tyto Metal Beak returns!" The shrill whistle of a Sooty broke Blaze and Banshee from their haze, and the pair flew towards the southeast entrance of the fortress to find Kludd and his contingent returning from Silverveil. First to greet the contingent, of course, was Nyra. "Kludd, my darling!" she shreed. "Did you find the smith? Everything go alright?"

"Well, aside from Wortmore being _far _more aggressive than necessary," Kludd growled, shooting a poisonous glance at Wortmore as he spoke, "everything went fine. As you can see, not only did I get a new mask and beak, but we also managed to secure enough battle claws for the entire Pure Guard. Which means we are now ready to begin the siege!" Blaze's eyes widened in horror as she heard this, and Banshee extended a wing to comfort her. He had no clue what was going through his love's mind, but he knew that whenever she had this look on her face, her worries were Kira-related.

Everyone else hearing this, however, shreed in triumph. "Pure Guard, to Cape Glaux! The invasion begins!" She then flew throughout the castle, relaying this news, while Ginger, Kestrel, Nightshade, and Gyre poked their heads out from behind a wall of the fortress. "We're going to fight the Guardians?" Kestrel squeaked out in excitement, while Nightshade went on about attack strategy and Gyre simply listened, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Ginger, however, simply stared at Blaze, and Blaze could feel the heat in Ginger's gaze. Did Ginger know that her instructor had a Guardian for a daughter?

Hunter looked out over the Shadow Forest at the scene before him. In a small clearing, a group of owls were practicing combat moves, while others were flying in with new recruits and fitting them in hollows. Sure, their army was small, but all armies start small before growing. And The Purgery was growing at an incredible rate, faster than Hunter himself had imagined. The Head Purger almost swelled with pride.

Hunter had once been Purge's closest friend in the Pure Ones. The two had trained together and were initiated together, and Hunter had always seen Purge as a brother. So when Purge had been promoted to commander instead of him, Hunter felt no anger or jealousy; instead, he congratulated Purge as loud as he possibly could. Then Purge had met Aaralyn, had taken a temporary leave of absence to Silverveil to father his chick Garth, and then one night, Purge came back-with Garth in tow. Hunter had been so excited to see the lad become a part of his father's legacy. Purge had even told Garth to call him "Uncle Brink". _Yes, Brink. _Hunter thought to himself. _The High Tyto named me Brink, for I was quick to bring the Impure to the brink of death. That had been my name, back when I was a Pure One._

From there, however, it had gone wrong; all wrong. Garth's mind had turned impure and he fell in love with a Lesser Sooty-a male! Purge had done his duty and disposed of the lad as quickly as possible, and both him and Hunter thought that would be the end of their troubles. Unfortunately, Garth had made many friends who, as it turned out, supported his decision. One of them was the owl called Kludd, who went on to murder Purge, then the High Tyto, and then usurped the High Tyto's position. After that, Hunter left the Pure Ones for good, bringing with him many other owls who felt the same way. Together, they traveled to the Shadow Forest and formed the Purgery, to reform the Pure Ones into the army they should be. They had quickly gathered followers, and they would soon be ready to take on the Pure Ones. Unbeknownst to them, 6 pairs of eyes were watching him from a distance.

Thanks to Celeste's vast tracking skills, Kira, Hazel, Athena, Val, and Leo had used Hunter's feathers to track him-silently-all the way to the Shadow Forest-and they were quite surprised by what they saw. "I've never seen an owl so… stocky." Val whispered in frightened awe, and Kira wholeheartedly agreed. His pure white face and belly feathers and ochre back and wing feathers could not disguise his swollen sinews and his stocky build. She had never met an owl who intimidated her more-or one whose crimes had disgusted her more.

A shocked gasp came from her port side, and Kira turned to find her mate, Leo, staring at the owl, his eyes wide. "Look at his back!" he whispered. Kira followed Leo's eyes and was horrified to discover a jagged scar running down the length of his back. _Any other owl would have died from such a wound!_ Kira thought to herself. _What kind of owl _is _this! _The other owls looked on in horror, and Kira could easily guess what they were thinking: This was no ordinary rouge. This was truly an owl from hagsmire-fierce, strong, and ready to attack.

**A/N: Aaaaahhhhh, the suspense! Okay, I was torn between introducing the Purgery or catching back up with the Pure Ones… So I did both! Needless to say, Hunter is one owl I do ****_not _****want to f*** with. What do you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

That night, as bitter winter winds battered Silverveil, every owl in the Tytonic Union of the Pure Ones-including the Pure Guard, the Nyra Annihilators, and Diamondclaw's battalion of Greater and Lesser Sooty Owls, which he called "The Soot Squad"-flew towards Cape Glaux in tight wedges. In the lead wedge were Kludd, Nyra, Banshee, Blaze, Jadalyn, Morgana, Wortmore, Sikita, Ginger, Kestrel, Nightshade, and Gyre. Ginger found herself absolutely shaking with excitement; she, for one, couldn't imagine a greater honour than to fly into battle alongside the High Tyto, Her Pureness, and her instructor, not to mention her friends and many experienced soldiers.

At this moment, Sikita leaned herself closer towards Ginger. "Now, remember everything you've been taught." Sikita whispered into Ginger's ear slit. "Ear slits open, talons out, always flying. Whatever you do, always use your wits; you're quite good at that." Ginger nodded in response and Sikita flew back into position, her black eyes ahead. While Ginger knew a little reminder never hurt, she didn't necessarily need one; for her, such things were instinctive.

Kestrel, for her part, could barely take her eyes off of Sikita as her bronze-coloured wings sculpted the air. Sikita had been on her first recruitment mission when Kestrel, having just left the nest, had met her in a small part of the Shadow Forest. She soon became quite taken with the young lieutenant, so taken that, without any training in tracking, had followed her feathers all the way to the fortress in Tyto. From there, she became a member of the Pure Ones and began receiving instruction under Blaze alongside Nightshade, Gyre, and Ginger, who soon became her closest friends. However, not once did she stop thinking about Sikita-her sparkling black eyes, her bronzy back and wing feathers, the way she glided so smoothly and effortlessly in the sky. And now, as she flew close to the young lieutenant, she wasn't quite sure whether she was going to go yeep-or fly straight up to the moon.

Kestrel was interrupted from her thoughts by the feeling of a bitter cold wind blowing in her face. "Winterlies." she heard Nyra say. "They're blowing far too strong. We'll have to wait until they ease up." With that, the entire army of the Pure Ones lighted down on Cape Glaux, and Kestrel looked at Sikita, her eyes glittering. "How long do you think it will be until we can fly again?" she whispered.

"Hopefully not long." Sikita replied. "Although, to be quite frank, I definitely could've used the rest. Great Glaux, my wings are sore!" Kestrel simply churred in response. "I wouldn't have known it, lieutenant. You still flew as gracefully as you did when we met."

Sikita looked down at her talons in slight embarrassment. "I still remember that night." she said softly. "Back in the time of the Copper-Rose rain, when frost was beginning to form on the trees. The entire forest looked like it was made of quartz." Kestrel remembered that night as well; the entire forest was dark and cold, yet Sikita stood out like a shining bronze medallion amid the black. "Do you remember that song you were singing," Kestrel asked, "when we stumbled across each other?" Sikita nodded and sung in a quiet, sing-song voice, for the song she sung was for Kestrel's ear slits only.

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>They strung up an owl<em>  
><em>They say who murdered three.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>Where the dead owl called out<em>  
><em>For his love to flee.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>Where I told you to fly,<em>  
><em>So we'd both be free.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>Wear a necklace of rope,<em>  
><em>Side by side with me.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>Where I told you to fly,<em>  
><em>So we'd both be free.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>They strung up an owl<em>  
><em>They say who murdered three.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

_Are you, are you_  
><em>Coming to the tree<em>  
><em>Where the dead owl called out<em>  
><em>For his love to flee.<em>  
><em>Strange things did happen here<em>  
><em>No stranger would it be<em>  
><em>If we met at midnight<em>  
><em>In the hanging tree.<em>

Kestrel listened with dreamlike wonder as Sikita sang, her voice transporting her back to a cold autumn night when the forest was dark and the moon could barely be seen amid the conifers, and the hearts and gizzards of two young Barn Owls became one for the first time. When Sikita at last finished singing, her and Kestrel looked out towards the Sea of Hoolemere, side by side, awaiting the battle to come. "Whatever happens," Kestrel whispered, "I will always fight by your side." And as Kestrel looked towards Sikita, she could've sworn she saw the owl smile.

Kira found herself in the library of the great tree. _Odd. _Kira thought to herself. _I don't remember flying here._ She had flown back to the great tree and reported to Barran-and Dewlap-what she had seen, shortly before Soren and the Chaw of Chaws reported that the Pure Ones were massing on Cape Glaux, yet she had no memory of flying to the library.Just as she was beginning to contemplate how she found herself here, a rather large, bluish-black shape with ragged feathers flew towards her, it's yellow eyes glowing. Kira suddenly wilfed; she had read the legends, she had heard about hagsfiends, and from what she knew, this was indeed a hagsfiend. _Oh Great Glaux, _she thought, _am I going to die at the talons of a hagsfiend?_

"No." A gentle voice replied. "You will not die by my talons, Kira." The hagsfiend lighted down in front of her, a kindly expression on her face.

Kira's bottom beak almost hit the floor. "H-How do you know my name?" she stammered.

"I have been with you since you hatched, although you didn't know it." The hagsfiend replied. "I was raised by parents who didn't love me and an auntie who taught me to hate, and it was only at the great tree in another guise that I knew what love was. After that, the longing for power bred into most hagsfiends died in me, yet I died before I had a chance at redemption. Fortunately, Glaux promised me a second chance, a chance to have the life I should've had. And when you were conceived, he kept that promise, for which I will forever be grateful."

Kira's head was spinning as she heard this. "So…" she said softly. "You're… me?"

"Yes." The hagsfiend nodded "I am what you once were. My name is Lutta, and I was given the ability at my hatching to change into any creature. Because of that, my aunt, Kreeth, called me a changeling." Lutta almost spat the word 'aunt'. "She taught me how to control my transformations, and then gave me a mission: to infiltrate the Great Ga'Hoole Tree under the guise of Emerilla and steal the Ember of Hoole. But while I was there, I… fell in love with King Hoole, and I developed a gizzard. Soon, I defied Kreeth, and I died in battle, without a chance at love because of who I was. And now, I live through you, and Glaux has blessed us with a family who truly loves us and a chance to be noble servants of Ga'Hoole." As Lutta spoke, she began to transform, and Kira soon found herself looking at an exact replica… of her. "But you have a destiny of your own as well; Glaux spoke to me before you hatched and told me this." And in a soft, faraway voice, she whispered what Kira first thought to be a poem, and later realized was a prophecy:

_Bred through evil, hatched under the stars,_

_An amber owl shall take up arms,_

_And face each demon within her sights,_

_Before she finally becomes a knight._

When Lutta at last finished, she looked at Kira, her eyes shining. "You've defeated your father and Brutus before you came to the tree; for this reason, only you can stop the hagsmire he has started." With that, Lutta began to fade away as Kira shreed, "Wait! Come back! Tell me more!"

Kira suddenly awoke to find Leo looking at her, his black eyes shining with concern. "Kira, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Kira replied sleepily. "Just a bad dream, that's all." However, inside Kira was trembling. She had a dream like this once before, when she still lived with the eagles, and it had come true. This time, however, she hadn't seen something that would end up happening… but everything that already did.

**A/N: *screams loudly* Another forbidden love within the Pure Ones and the reincarnation of Lutta! Okay, I'm beginning to think I'm going crazy. Nevertheless, I like how this chapter turned out; I had hinted at Kira being the reincarnation of Lutta in "A Warrior's Daughter", but I struggled with how to fully broach the subject until I wrote this chapter. And for those of you wondering, while I changed some things for context, the song Sikita sings to Kestrel IS "The Hanging Tree" from ****_The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1_**** (as a side note, does anyone else think Jennifer Lawrence sounds a little bit like Lana Del Ray when she sings, or is it just me?) What did you think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or any part of The Hunger Games trilogy; full credit goes to their respective writers**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kludd looked out from his perch on Cape Glaux as the winter lies blew hard and fierce over Hoolemere. Many of the soldiers were busy preparing for the battle ahead-Diamondclaw was currently training the Soot Squadron in a series of battle moves-and him, Nyra, Uglamore, Wortmore, Banshee, and Blaze were keeping watch in case they were attacked. It was a good thing they did, as Kludd could now see seven specks out on the horizon-specks which took on the shapes of owls as they got closer. Indeed, from where he perched, Kludd could make out the outlines of a Spotted Owl, an Oriental Scops Owl, a Little Owl, an Eagle Owl, and a Barn Owl-one with a suspiciously familiar set of amber feathers-headed towards them. _Has Blaze betrayed us? _Kludd wondered to himself, but saw Blaze standing faithfully at her post. _Why am I seeing… Wait, that face… I'd know that face anywhere… No, not Blaze… Kira! What is _she _doing with these owls?_ Kludd found himself frozen to his perch in his shock.

Meanwhile, Kira flew as quickly as she could towards Cape Glaux, with Hazel, Lotus, and two members of the search-and-rescue chaw in tow. Boron had selected her to be the leader of this contingent, whose mission was to attempt to reason with the Pure Ones, as she may be able to reach those who she was familiar with. Now, she was drawing closer to the owl she once called Uncle Kludd-as well as her mother. "Alright, remember everyone, this is a peacemaking contingent." She reminded the owls with her as she approached Cape Glaux. "Do _not _fight these owls unless absolutely necessary." With that, she lighted down before Kludd and dipped her head in greeting. "Salutations from the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole. Are you the High Tyto of the Pure Ones?"

_You know who I am! _Kludd thought to himself angrily, but held his tongue. "Yes." he growled. "Who are you and what do you want?"

_I knew he would recognize me. _Kira thought to herself grimly, but pressed on. "My name is Kira Dani." She began, choosing deliberately not to use her real last name, Plicata. _Many of these owls don't know of your existence. _Lutta's voice reminded her. _Don't give away anything that would endanger yourself or your mother. _"These," she continued, gesturing to her contingent, "are Hazel Elthin, Lotus Nianzu, Sebastian Theodorou, and Vladmir Borisovich. We come here on behalf of Their Majesties, King Boron and Queen Barran of Ga'Hoole, in attempt to negotiate a peace treaty between our parties."

Uglamore stared hard at Kira as she stood before the High Tyto. She was definitely quite able to hold her own in front of the High Tyto; that, the old lieutenant couldn't help but admire. But with her amber feathers, lithe form, and sparkling black eyes-not to mention the raw spunk she exuberated-Uglamore couldn't help but feel as though he was looking at a carbon copy of Blaze. At the same time, he noticed that she had the same tilt to her facial disk as Purge did, and Uglamore couldn't help but feel a fresh jolt of fear run through him. And yet… there was something else there as well, something that Uglamore couldn't put his talon on, but made this Kira owl seem to him much wiser than her years let on.

Blaze, for her part, was digging her talons into the ground to keep her from flying towards her daughter and embracing her. As much as she hated the Guardians, she couldn't help but be proud of how much her daughter had grown. Long before Kira had hatched, Blaze had decided to keep the truth of her creation as far away from her as possible so as to keep her from feeling unloved. However, when Kira found out-via Garth's scroom, no less-it had done just the opposite; it had fostered in Kira a sense of compassion and understanding, as well as given her the courage to face her fears-and her father. This compassion may not have had a place among the majority of the Pure Ones, but the Guardians had seen Kira's potential and had welcomed her to the tree quite quickly. For that, Blaze could not bring herself to attack her daughter-or any friend she made.

Kludd simply stared at Kira, his eyes hard. "None of us are interested in your talks of peace, Guardian." He hissed, a sense of guilt over his tone prickling him. "We are only interested in dominion over all the owl kingdoms. If you want to keep your tree, you must fight us!" His words brought a cheer from the entire army, save for Blaze, who stared at him with an expression of horror. She didn't care if Kludd exiled her-she would _not _fight her daughter! Kira, however, simply stared at Kludd, her expression grim. "Then fight, we shall." She replied, her eyes boring into Kludd. "Good evening."

With that, the contingent flew back to Ga'Hoole, where Boron, Barran, and Ezylryb waited tensely. "Well?" Barran asked nervously. Kira simply shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. "So it comes down to war, then." Boron replied grimly before turning to Ezylryb. "Ezylryb, I'm putting you in charge of the war cabinet. Get everyone ready." Ezylryb nodded and flew towards the parliament hollow, while Kira and her contingent flew after him, awaiting what he had to say. _I was sent to make peace, and I failed. _Kira cried out silently. _What will I do now? _Suddenly, Kira felt as though a wing were wrapped around her. _Be brave, Kira. _Lutta's voice seemed to whisper. _Defend what you love with your life. That's all you need to do._

"Do whatever you want to me, Kludd, but I won't fight Kira!" Blaze shreed at the top of her lungs. The two were in an isolated part of the encampment and everyone was preparing for the siege, save for Kludd and Blaze, who were now discussing what had happened.

"Then don't." Kludd replied calmly. He knew right from the moment Kira became involved that he would have to tread carefully; Blaze's temper was immense, and there wasn't an owl amongst the Pure Ones who hadn't felt it's scorching heat-not even him. "Fight with me on the northeast quadrant of the tree; Nyra's told me it's the most lightly defended side of the tree due to winds from the Northern Kingdoms. She knows these winds quite well, so we will have an advantage." Kludd then turned to Blaze, eyes glittering. "You knew that Kira had joined the Guardians, didn't you?"

"Yes." Blaze replied. "And I didn't tell anyone because I thought it a matter for Kira and I to deal with on our own."

"I figured half as much." Kludd replied sympathetically. "I don't doubt your loyalty, Blaze, but I do know that you love your daughter very much. I promise you, I'll make sure that you never have to fight her in this battle, but you must fight."

"That, I will do, Your Pureness." Blaze replied, bowing her head. "I knew I could count on you, lieutenant." Kludd told her. "Now, bring Ginger to me. I want to speak with her." Blaze nodded and flew towards Ginger, who was being fitted for battle claws alongside Nightshade. "The High Tyto wants to see you, Ginger." Blaze replied, to which Ginger responded with a nod before flying toward Kludd, eyes shining. "How may I be of service, Your Pureness?" Ginger asked quietly.

Kludd simply stared at her and replied, "Adjunct General Nyra and I have a special mission for you."

**A/N: Wow, you can practically slice the tension with a butter knife… Yea, that was a much shorter chapter than usual, as you can see. But I think I did well in setting up for Ginger's infiltration and a conflict between Blaze and certain members of the Pure Ones (*cough* Stryker *cough). What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"There you go, nice and snug!" Val chirped as she fitted a set of Bubo's Nickel Alloy Super Talons-or NASTs-onto Kira's talons. Shortly after Ezylryb had announced the declaration of war on the Pure Ones, Kira, Leo, and Ebony were selected to fly with Barran in her Elite Talons unit, while Hazel was picked for the Strix Struma Strikers and Athena would be joining Matron and tending to the wounded. Kira was quite surprised that no members of the Band were chosen to fly in any of the units, but didn't doubt for a second that they were given a very important job-whatever it may be.

"Can these battle claws really split rock?" Ebony asked quietly, admiring the pair that Bubo had fitted her with earlier. Kira took a look at her own set, which glared brightly in the cave where Bubo made his forge. _Even if they can't actually split rock, _Kira thought to herself, _they can sure do some damage to an enemy owl. _Kira suddenly thought of the battle they would fight, and a slight shudder passed through her. She did _not _want to tear her mother apart with these claws.

Val let out a slight churr. "I'm not sure I'd go that far," she replied, "but I can say they're not claws you want to frink with. Quickly now, Barran is waiting." She then went back to her hammer and anvil and began hammering as Kira, Leo, and Ebony left the forge. Leo looked at his mate with worry in his eyes. "You're worried about having to face your mum, aren't you?"

Kira nodded, her eyes clouding with sadness. "I don't want to kill my own mother, Leo. She may be a Pure One, but she loved me more than anyone could possibly know." Kira then looked down at her emerald pendant-a gift from Blaze after her First Flight. "I'd rather die than face her."

The look on Leo's face was not one of disappointment, but of understanding; he had met Blaze once before, when she was looking for Kira, and he had seen for himself how strong her devotion to her daughter was. "I know." he said softly. "No one is expecting you to do that-especially not Barran. You'll just have to be brave and fight what you can."

Kira looked at her mate, eyes full of love. "Leo," she said softly, "in case we don't survive, I just want to tell you I love you."

Leo blinked at Kira with adoration. "I will always love you, Kira Plicata." They finally arrived at the branch on which the Elite Talons were stationed, and Kira could see Strix Struma at the head of the Strix Struma Strikers, among which were Hazel, Ruby, and… Otulissa? Hazel and Ruby, Kira could get, but Otulissa!? Beside the Strikers, Kira could see the Bonk Brigade and Elvan's Flying Screechers in position, ready to attack. As Kira looked out over the horizon, she could see several tan, buff, russet, and sandy-brown heads, as well as several dark brown and black ones-but could not see the amber head of her mother, for which Kira sent a prayer of thanks to Glaux. With that, Barran nodded her head, and the Elite Talons followed behind, battle claws fastened and ready for battle.

Ginger followed in a tight wedge with Sikita, Kestrel, and Hyde, Sikita being at the very front of the formation. Ginger, for her part, was simply abuzz with excitement as she remembered the special mission the High Tyto had given her; a mission to infiltrate the great tree and discover the secrets of flecks. She had learned somewhat of what flecks could do, thanks to the briefing given to her by Her Pureness, but there was more information that the Pure Ones needed, and she had been recruited to find it. This was a mission that would take cunning and all of Ginger's best acting skills, and Ginger was ready. _Oh, if only Asia were here. _Ginger thought to herself, recalling with sadness how her sister had died of summer flux before she could be initiated. The two had escaped their horrible mum to find a new life, and they had found the Pure Ones after stumbling across Blaze during a scouting patrol. Up until Asia's death, they had done everything together, so doing this without her simply broke Ginger's gizzard.

"Voles dance at dawn!" The hooting voice of a Great Gray broke through the fog, bringing Ginger back to the present. _Yeesh, the Guardians even talk weird. _Ginger thought to herself. No sooner did Ginger think that then the voice broke out again, calling out "Lovely!" into the fog, and Ginger felt something like rope tightening around her. _No, not rope, vines. _She realized. _Oh, great Glaux, I'm trapped! _She tried desperately to fight her way out, but she was unable to free herself and she soon noticed blood staining her white breast feathers. But even that was nothing compared to what she saw when she turned her head; next to her, in an identical snare, lay Sikita, not moving, blood staining her wings, her head at an unnatural angle.

"Sikita!" Ginger heard an agonized shree, and turned her head to find Kestrel flying above the snare holding Sikita's body, her expression betraying her broken gizzard. Kestrel flew around the snare, once, then twice, looking desperately for a twitch of an eye, a wing-anything that would tell her there was still life in Sikita. Nothing. Tears now formed in Kestrel's eyes. "Sikita!"

"Kestrel, go, get out of here!" Ginger shreed, trying desperately to reach her gizzard-broken friend. "Find His Pureness! Warn him! Save yourself!" With that, Nightshade flew back towards Cape Glaux, grabbing Kestrel by the talons as she did; Kestrel's eyes were now as dull and cold as river stones, and she made no effort to resist. That was the last thing Ginger saw before the entire world went black.

Kira flew into the infirmary as quickly as she could to find snakes and owls flying around, treating various wounded. Early on, she had been temporarily excused from duty by Barran so that she could help tend to these owls. There were many wounded enemy owls as well as Guardians, thanks to the snares, and every owl in the infirmary was working overtime to tend to them. Right now, Kira had been assigned by Matron to tend to a young Barn Owl from the Pure Ones ranks; an owl with strawberry blonde back and wing feathers and a pure white face and belly, the latter of which was stained with blood. "Alright, hold still, sweetheart." Kira murmured reassuringly. "You're going to be just fine." The Barn Owl simply blinked. "B… Blaze?" She asked in a thin voice.

Kira blinked. _She's a Pure One, alright. _"No, dearest, not Blaze. My name's Kira, I'm here to help you." The Barn Owl looked at her. "Are… Are you a Guardian?" she asked. "Not yet." Kira replied. "I'm in training to be one."

The owl looked at her with wide, unblinking eyes. "All the Pure Ones say the Guardians are our enemies, and yet… you saved my life." She then attempted to dip her head in gratitude. "From this moment on, I reject the Pure Ones and wish to become a Guardian… like you."

Kira was slightly taken aback by the young Barn Owl's words; never in her life had she heard such kind things from a Pure One. And yet… there was something in this owl's eyes that she didn't trust. "I'll have to let Their Majesties know then." she replied cautiously. "For now, I recommend you rest. May I inquire as to your name?"

The Barn Owl nodded, and Kira swore she could've seen a twinkle in her eye. "My name is Ginger."

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A troubled Dewlap wandered around the base of the great tree, swivelling her head to survey the scene around her. Many owls lay wounded or dying in the infirmary, and Dewlap had gone to visit them and bestow her kindness. However, after the incident surrounding the book, seeing Otulissa there shocked and disturbed Dewlap to her very core. As a result, Dewlap decided to leave the infirmary and fly around the island in order to gain some peace and reflect on everything that had happened.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sobbing, and Dewlap flew towards the sound to find what appeared to be a young, female Barn Owl-and a very distressed one, at that. Her eyes, which shed copious tears, were as dull and as cold as pebbles, and her wings seemed to droop at her sides while her head appeared to be bent. Dewlap flew towards the owl and slowly lighted down, approaching her gently. "My dear," she said quietly, "whatever is the matter?"

The Barn Owl suddenly whipped her head, startled. "Aren't you a Guardian?" she asked, as if she were surprised that the old Burrowing Owl took any interest in her plight. Dewlap was taken aback. "Yes." she replied cautiously. "Are you a Pure One?"

The Barn Owl nodded. "Yes." she replied. "And under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be caught dead talking to you. But since you're the only one here, I might as well explain why I'm here, crying like an owlet: The love of my life is… dead."

Dewlap let out a shocked gasp. She knew that feeling all too well. "No!"

The Barn Owl nodded. "She was the reason I joined the Pure Ones; I met her in the Shadow Forest, while she was on a recruiting mission. She hadn't meant to meet me, nor I her, but we met and I knew right from the start, that we had this sort of… connection." Her face then took on a dreamy look, as if she were somewhere far away. "I still remember the way the moon shone on her feathers… Made her look as though she were made of true bronze." She then flashed back to the present, sorrow entering her eyes once again. "And now she is gone, thanks to the snares your Guardians devised. Oh, what a clever, clever, trick of theirs! Now I'll never hear her voice again, never feel her gentle touch, never see the light in those glorious eyes of hers-oh, Glaux, why have you abandoned Sikita like this? Oh, what a foul, foul act you have done!"

Dewlap felt a mist of both sadness and alarm hovering in her gizzard. She could tell just how horrible this was for the young Barn Owl; indeed, it was as if she could see this owl's mind beginning to give way. "Perhaps I can retrieve her body," Dewlap began, desperately trying to distract this owl from the insanity that was beginning to form, "and we could give Sikita a Final ceremony."

The Barn Owl then looked at her. "I don't believe Glaux will watch over this ceremony," she replied, "but I appreciate your kindness. What is your name, owl?"

"Dewlap." Dewlap replied, her voice soft as down. "And yours."

"The Tytonic Union calls me Kestrel." The owl replied, her eyes simply staring at Dewlap. Dewlap fought the urge to wilf. "Kestrel's a lovely name." Dewlap replied, keeping her voice neutral.

"I suppose so." Kestrel replied. "Sikita is about the same height as me, and her back and wing feathers are a bronzy colour. Please hurry, and be careful who sees you." She then turned her head towards the shore, her eyes dull and unfocused, as Dewlap flew back towards the tree, determined to find the body. She flew through the tree for a great length of time, almost certain that she would never find the owl. Eventually, however, she found the body of Sikita, her eyes glazed over in horror and her bronze-coloured feathers checked with spots of dried blood. Gingerly, and taking great care so as not to rouse suspicion, Dewlap picked up Sikita's body and carried it out of the tree and towards the spot where Kestrel perched. She then placed Sikita's body gently on the ground and made a slight coughing sound, causing Kestrel to turn her head.

"Ah, so you found her." Kestrel replied. She then walked over towards the body, eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "We'll hold her Final ceremony near a grove of fir trees near the island, those were always her favourite." She then cocked her head curiously. "Funny." she remarked. "I expected Ghost to be here. He was stationed as a slipgizzle, after all, so…"

"Ghost is dead." Dewlap interrupted her. Kestrel turned her head towards her, eyes as hard as flint, but Dewlap pressed on. "He was murdered by an owl claiming to be a follower of Purge. If that owl hadn't murdered him, however, I have a feeling a Guardian might have found him, as many owls were beginning to suspect…"

"Purge!" Kestrel shreed. "The yeepish, carrion-eating hag's spawn! Oh, him and his followers will destroy us all, I just know it! Fiend, fiend, dirty fiend!" Dewlap, for her part, was quite shocked at what she was hearing and could feel herself beginning to wilf; however, she stopped herself in time. "Perhaps I could find some coals for the ceremony," she began, "while you build a pyre."

Kestrel straightened up at this, as if she had been brought back to the present. "Right, of course." she replied. "Good idea. I'll get some twigs and grass while you get some coals, and I'll meet you in the grove." With that, Kestrel flew off, Sikita's body in her talons, while Dewlap flew back towards the tree. There was a cache of embers in a small storage area near the tree, and while Dewlap knew it was wrong to take embers for any reason apart from combat, it was all she could do to distract Kestrel from her growing paranoia. She soon reached the storage area, plucked four embers from the cache, and flew towards the grove to find Sikita's body lying on a pyre that Kestrel had built, while Kestrel looked sadly on at Sikita's body. Dewlap then placed an ember on each corner of the pyre, and the two owls watched as the pyre-and Sikita's body-were devoured by flames-but not before Kestrel quickly plucked one of Sikita's bronze coloured feathers and tucked it into the plumage on her starboard wing. The feather stood out starkly against Kestrel's plumage, which was the colour of desert sand.

"I shall find the Guardians who set that snare," she hissed. "And I shall kill every. Last. One. Then you shall truly know the strength and power of the Pure Ones, as will all the owl kingdoms. We shall have dominion over every last kingdom, and all owls will quiver with fear as we soar through the night sky!" Dewlap stared, horrified, at Kestrel, whose eyes had grown hard as obsidian. Kestrel then turned her head towards Dewlap, and the old Ga'Hoology ryb felt the Barn Owl's gaze piercing her like an arrow. "You have shown me kindness, Dewlap. But you'll need more than that if you want to keep this precious tree alive. Perhaps you have some information the Pure Ones might find useful, such as weaknesses or attack strategies. You give us this information, and we'll take excellent care of this tree."

Shaking with fear, Dewlap began to tell Kestrel everything she knew, including the weak points of the tree's defines systems. As she spoke, a sick smile formed on Kestrel's face, and Dewlap felt as though her gizzard was about to drop out of her body. When she was finished, Kestrel spread her wings. "You have trusted my word." she said as she prepared to lift off. "Very well; when we take control of the tree, I shall make sure you are spared." She then lifted off into the black of the sky, a triumphant shree echoing through the night. Dewlap was just about to fly back to the tree when she felt Hazel light down beside her, sadness in her brown eyes.

"Oh, Dewlap." Hazel sighed softly. "What have you done?"

**A/N: NOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry bout the wait, was struggling with writer's block for a while. So, that started as a really sweet chapter… and then Kestrel started going insane and Dewlap ended up betraying the tree. Yeah, that escalated. What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kira found herself back in the library of the great tree. _How in Glaux's name do I continually end up here?_ Kira thought to herself, before a large bluish-black shape soared into the library and landed in front of her. _Lutta!_ Kira felt a mixture of fear and relief as the changeling finally appeared. Was Lutta here to help Kira make more sense of the prophecy that enfolded her? Suddenly, Kira noticed Lutta's feathers begin to change from black to tan, and for her face to change into that of a Barn Owl's… _And not just any Barn Owl,_ Kira realized, quivering with pure joy, _Garth!_ Her half-brother had been murdered long before her hatching, which meant she never had a chance to meet him; as a result, there was always a part of her that felt overjoyed at the sight of him. And yet, she also felt a distinct sense of unease, as with the appearance of Garth came the memory of his scroom telling her the truth about their father.

"Follow me, Kira." Lutta said. Kira jumped back a bit; she wasn't used to hearing Lutta's voice from Garth's form. "There's something I want you to see." Lutta then flew out of the library towards the infirmary, with Kira close behind. The changeling and the Barn Owl then stopped just outside the spot where Ginger slept, able to peek into the infirmary via a small hole. Lutta then turned towards Kira, eyes shining warily. "Beware an owl with a sweet facade," Lutta whispered, "for these mask the most evil intent of all."

Kira suddenly felt a cold chill race through her veins, and turned her head to find herself in The Beaks-specifically, Mirror Lakes. _No!_ Kira suddenly felt herself wilf. Before she had arrived at the Great Tree, Brutus had owl-napped her from Silverveil and kept her here. Fortunately, she used her wits to escape his clutches, but she had quickly detected a haggish enchantment over Mirror Lakes-and The Beaks in general. Kira then remembered what Digger and Twilight had told her about Mirror Lakes: _"Any owl can be trapped there; all they have to do is look at the lake, and they're done for."_ She suddenly heard the loud roar of thunder and the crack of lightening, and saw bright orange flames devouring the land. Suddenly, Kira dived down toward the fire, a fresh bolt of fear striking her harder than any lightning. "Hang on, my friend!" Kira shreed desperately. "I'm coming!"

Kira suddenly awoke back in her own hollow to find Val and Leo looking at her, concern in their eyes, and Athena desperately fanning her with her tiny brown wings. "Now, now, Kira, it's alright." Athena murmured soothingly. "It's okay, it was just a dream."

Kira suddenly felt a jolt run through her. The last time she had a dream like this was before she left Ambala. _And it had come true!_ Kira realized, another thought soon permeating her mind: _And this one could come true as well._ Lutta's warning echoed in her head: _Beware an owl with a sweet facade_. Kira shook her head impatiently. What did it mean? "Excuse me, I need some time to think." And with that, she flew out of the hollow she shared with her mate and friends and flew over to that of the smartest owl she knew: Hazel.

"And then she said, 'Beware an owl with a sweet facade, for these mask the most evil intent of all'." Kira whispered urgently as she described her dream to Hazel. The two of them sat with watered-down milkberry tea as Hazel listened to Kira's description, brown eyes wide with disbelief. "And then the next thing I know, I was in The Beaks, and then there was lightning and fire and I just flew down into it, as if I was looking for something." Kira's eyes then took on a haunted look. "But for what? What was in that fire?"

Hazel sighed and put down her nut cup. "I don't know what you were looking for. But I do know that you have a gift; a very rare one at that." Her brown eyes then bore deep into Kira's black ones as she shared what she knew. "There are four types of foresight: there's starsight, the ability to see the future through your dreams. There's firesight, the ability to read the future through fire. There's watersight, the ability to see the future through water, ice, and fog. And then there's greensight, the ability to tell the future in the shapes of different plants. However, my mum once told me and Starr tales of four owls known as the Hatchlings of Glaumora, who each had an advanced form of these abilities, which made them closer to Glaux than any other owls. She told us that every 500 years, Glaux would choose four to be these owls and to save the kingdoms from great evil."

A flash of both awe and fear filled Hazel's eyes before she went on. "I think you may be one of the owls Glaux has chosen." She told Kira. "You have an incredibly advanced form of starsight, which means you can speak to those in glaumora in your dreams, as well as seeing what is to come. That means Glaux must have chosen you as one of the four, which means there are three other owls-either in the tree or elsewhere-who have advanced forms of the other abilities. When they are found, we may have a better chance of defeating the Pure Ones." Suddenly, a frightened hoot grabbed Kira's attention, and the amber Barn Owl flew with Hazel down to the shores of Hoole, where they found Celeste standing near the water, eyes shining with fear.

"Kira!" Celeste squeaked. "I was burrowing some tunnels for a secret project Soren and the Band devised, and my assignment was to burrow to this side of the island. I completed the tunnel as Sylvana had instructed, and I looked into the fog and…" Here Celeste suddenly wilfed. "I saw a Barn Owl slice the wing off one Spotted Owl while another Spotted Owl brought a Boreal Owl to the water by his wing and drowned him. I thought perhaps there was a skirmish going on far from the tree, but the images looked so clear, and then I saw my Da's face and he told me, 'This battle shall take the life of someone dear'. Oh, I feel as though something bad is going to happen, but I'm worried Sylvana will think I'm crazy!" Kira suddenly felt a jolt of shock and turned toward Hazel, their minds sharing the same thought: _She's one of the four!_

Kira then stepped toward Celeste, extending a wing. "Celeste," she told her, "you are not crazy." She then told Celeste this while hoping she was saying the right thing. "There are four types of foresight: starsight, which shows you the future through dreams, firesight, in which you see the future through fire, watersight, which tells you the future through water, ice, and fog, and greensight, in which you see in the shapes of plants what the future holds. You, however, have a special form of watersight which allows you to communicate with the owls of glaumora; I have a form of starsight which allows me to do the same. It means that Glaux has a very special destiny for us, one which is tied to the fate of the owl kingdoms."

Celeste blinked. "Really?" she whispered, her eyes brightening a bit. "So, I'm not crazy?"

Kira nodded. "No, Celeste, you're not crazy; Glaux has chosen you, myself, and two other owls to help protect the kingdoms from owls like the Pure Ones." She then added, with grave seriousness, "Which is why you must be careful who you share this conversation with, and why you must pay careful attention to whatever visions you receive. Promise?" Celeste nodded, clearly understanding the importance of her gift. "I promise." She replied, and then went back into the tunnel from which she came. Kira then looked out towards the shore, where she knew her mother and the other Pure Ones lay waiting. _Whatever my parents were_, Kira realized,_ Glaux set me on this path, and now only he can take me away from it_.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kludd looked out over the horizon from the small oak on which he was perched on Cape Glaux, where the Pure Ones made their encampment. Their attack on the northeastern side of the Great Tree moons ago had been successful, but their attack on the open front… not so much. The Guardians had set snares on that part of the island, and many soldiers had been lost as a result of that, including Sikita and Nightwing, a member of the Soot Squad and a former pupil of Diamondclaw's. Kludd squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered receiving the news-Lieutnenant Morgana, Sikita's former instructor, and how her face crumpled at the news, how Diamondclaw, who shared a special bond with Nightwing unlike any between an instructor and a pupil, had wept and shreed and cursed at the star-filled sky. But perhaps what hurt Kludd the most was the look on Kestrel's face; after what had happened with Garth and Diamondclaw, Kludd knew better than anyone what a young owl looked like after seeing the one they loved die and being powerless to stop it. As for Diamondclaw… Kludd could practically feel the agony coming from his friend like ice-shards at his plumage. _First Garth, and now Nightwing. _Kludd wailed silently. _Oh Glaux, is Diamondclaw forever destined to lose the ones he cares about the most?_

The shifting of weight on the branch alerted Kludd to the presence of another owl, and he swivelled his head to find Nyra standing next to him, her black eyes shining with never-ending love. "Kludd, you've become rather quiet lately. We're worried about you." She then extended a wing towards his shoulder before adding. "_I'm _worried about you. Please, tell me what's on your mind; it's not good to hold it in like this."

Kludd let out a sigh. "Sooties may occupy the lower rung of the Purity ladder," he began, "but I still don't think it's fair that Diamondclaw should have lost Nightwing. I saw the way Diamonclaw looked after Nightwing during training; he looked like Glaux had granted him a son of his very own. And now, to have that taken away? It's as if Diamondclaw can't get close to any owl without… losing them." Kludd simply sighed and looked down at the sea below him, churning and crashing as if it too were mourning the loss of Nightwing. Nyra, for her part, made a slight crooning sound in her throat and pressed up against her mate, only to have the moment interrupted by Blaze.

"General Mam, I apologize for the interruption," Blaze began nervously, "but I wish to speak to His Pureness in private about an urgent matter." Nyra simply nodded, and flew off, with only her black eyes betraying her suspicion; it was not like Blaze to be nervous in front of either of them. After she was satisfied that Nyra was out of earshot, Blaze leaned in towards Kludd. "It's about Kestrel." Blaze whispered. "Ever since Sikita's death, she's been disappearing at random hours of the day, and when she's around, she barely communicates with Nightshade or Gyre; she mostly mutters to herself about revenge and murder. I was wondering if perhaps there was something you can do to-"

A loud shree interrupted Blaze, and Kludd crept past her to see scores of owls flying towards them. "It's hireclaws!" Someone shreed. "Thank Glaux!" Came someone else's cry. _Thank Glaux indeed. _Kludd thought to himself, admiring the tightly drilled formations. _Wait, hireclaws don't have such tight formations._ Kludd realized, alarm, then horror, building up inside of him as each thought led to another._ But neither do the Guardians? St. Aggies? Impossible, they're all Barn Owls. _No sooner was Kludd beginning to process what was happening then a Barn Owl with taupe plumage broke away from his formation… and dive-bombed straight for Diamondclaw.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" The cry came out of Kludd's throat before he could stop it, and he launched himself from his perch in a mad frenzy to get to Diamondclaw before his attacker did. Jade, fortunately, had beat him to it, slashing the attacker's face and letting out a fearsome shree. Before long, however, another owl, one with feathers the colour of wheat, dove down to the taupe owl's side and slashed Jade's throat as Kludd and Blaze looked on in horror. After that, the entire encampment plunged into chaos, with the Pure Ones attacking these strange new owls with great ferocity while the strangers countered with equal savagery. Blaze, for her part, choked back a cry of horror as she recognized a bundle of sandy brown feathers amongst the attackers.

"Kestrel!" Blaze shreed. "How could you betray the Pure Ones like this?" Kestrel then turned to look at her old instructor, her eyes black ice, and Blaze felt her blood run cold. "Kestrel_claw_." she hissed. "I am Kestrelclaw, the greatest warrior the Purgery has ever seen!" And with that, she dive-bombed towards her old instructor, talons extended, while Blaze flew towards her former pupil, hatred and disgust turning her black eyes to fire. Within moments, however, Blaze recognized the sienna-coloured plumage of Nightshade fly between them and plunge her talons into Kestrel's heart. "Don't worry, old friend." Nightshade whispered as her talons withdrew from Kestrel's body. "You'll be with Sikita again, I promise." Kestrel's eyes went wide, and before she plummeted to the ground, Blaze could've sworn she saw the old light flicker again. Nightshade then turned to Blaze. "She wasn't a turnfeather, lieutenant." She whispered. "Her heart was broken and her mind followed suit." She then plunged back into the battle, with Blaze following suit.

Kludd surveyed the damage around him as his soldiers began to repair their wounds and prepare once again for the invasion. He had seen many battles in his lifetime and had even dreamed about them as an owlet; nonetheless, this one disturbed him like no other. Who were those owls? They weren't from St. Aggie's or any Guardian forces; they sure as hagsmire weren't hireclaws. And why did they try to kill him? His thoughts were interrupted by Banshee's panicked shree. "Jadalyn!"

Kludd suddenly raced over to his old instructor. Blood oozed out from her throat and chest, and stained her white breast feathers red, but her golden poppy-coloured feathers still shone as brightly as they always had, and her eyes still danced with joy and kindness as they had when Kludd was in training. "Alright, hang on major." Kludd murmured reassuringly. "You're gonna be just-" Jade then reached out a talon to stop him. "No, Your Pureness." she said, her sweet, honeyed voice now a whisper. "My time has come. I am leaving the Pure Ones."

Blaze looked at Jade in horror. "Oh, Major, no!" Kludd, for his part, stayed frozen to the ground; it felt like someone had ripped one of his wings off. "Blaze, Banshee, Diamondclaw… Kludd," she croaked, "come close and listen, I don't have much time." The four owls named crept slowly towards her, their blood turning to ice. "My name was Laguna when I first hatched. Like you four, I wanted nothing more than to be the bravest Tyto that ever lived. I joined the Pure Ones, completed my initiation, and my name was changed to Jadalyn. And then I fell in love with a soldier named Hiss… Only to discover that I would never have owlets of my own." Her eyes then clouded with sadness. "Hiss soon died during a skirmish in Ambala shortly after I was promoted to Major, and then I became an instructor of Pure Ones to come-always teaching pupils, never having a son or daughter to be a part of the Pure Ones legacy. But if I ever had owlets…" she wheezed, holding onto her breath as strong as she could, "I believe they would've been… a lot like you four. I am so proud of you all… even you Diamondclaw, though you weren't mine. May Glaux… May Glaux bless you all." She then stared up at the stars, her eyes far away. "Hiss?" she whispered. "Oh, Hiss, my love… I'm coming…" And with that, Jade took her last breath, while Kludd the four looked on, helpless to do anything. _Goodbye, Jade. _Kludd whispered silently to his old instructor's still form. _No matter what anyone says, you are the most true mother I could've asked for._

Kludd then looked up at the Pure Ones who now surrounded Jade's body, the newest initiates shocked while the older soldiers looked on in grief; Jade wasn't as strong or as fierce as Stryker or Uglamore, but she was a loyal soldier and well loved amongst the Pure Ones. "Major Jadalyn's death is an undoubtedly sad occasion; however, we must remember that Jadalyn died the way she lived, giving her life for her fellow Pure Ones, brave and loyal to the last." His eyes then shone with great passion. "If Jadalyn were alive, she would join us in battle against the great tree. So we shall honour her memory… And attack at once!" His words were met with silence, but Kludd could see the grief in their eyes replaced by steely determination. With that, he flew off towards the Great Tree… and towards the battle that lay ahead.


End file.
